On Thu, 2005-09-01 at 14:50 -0400, Chad Smith wrote: > Yes, it is stereotyping, but I think there are two things that are > being missed here. > > #1, China is a communist country, and tofu is not abnormal in that > country. (That based upon seeing Tofu in Chinese resturants here in > the States, I've never been to China, so I can't say 1st hand what is > eaten there. Of course, I can't first hand say they are communist > either, but I've heard it from enough sources to believe that it is > true.)
I heard they ate their children because they were overpopulated but that's probably just a rumour ;-) A material made from the vegetarian food tofu could help repair broken bones and teeth, UK scientists believe. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4057631.stm So its more than just a health food, its a miracle cure! > #2, In the United States, during the Cold War primarily, but still > remenants remain, the term "Communist" was a bad thing. It was an > insult, or a threat. In this country at that time, tofu was seen as a > non-masulcine food. Bit like quiche over here in the UK then. Oh and that light lager stuff some people confuse with beer. > Real men, according to the philosophy, eat steak, bacon, and grease - > anything as long as it bled when it died. Wimps ate tofu. (Again, > not me saying this - just explaining the phrase.) Tofu was very > popular in California, as was the "liberal, communist, pinko, etc." > center of the time. (Try to think back to the MacArthur era times, > trials in Hollywood about actors being Communist Sympathizers.) What they obviously needed was the Governator! > Therefore, much like tree-hugging, tofu-eating was looked down upon > as something a communist (or, more correctly, anti-American) type > person would do. I thought it was eating French - ooops sorry - Freedom Fries these days. > I'm not saying that this is my opinion. In fact, it's not, I like > tofu. I eat it everytime I see it at a buffet. I even like Soy Milk > better than cow milk. Strange fellow :-) Think I'd rather have a beer. > But I also eat steak, so it's balanced out. And I don't really have > anything against Communists. I don't agree with the philosophy, but > it's okay if you do. I'm just trying to clarify the meaning of the > phrase. > > By the way, the "insult" of "tofu-eating Communist" has taken a much > less serious tone in the decades following the end of the Cold War. > And since the Internet didn't take off until several years after that > end, I suspect that most of the uses of that phrase online are meant > to be tongue-in-cheek. Suspect? I need more certainty than that, Chad, I need to know if its OK to eat Tofu these days or will I get my visa revoked? -- Ian Lynch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ZMSL
