[lbo-talk] language query

[Carl Remick]

>From: Liza Featherstone <lfeather at panix.com>
>
>I wonder what LBO-sters -- especially those living in non-Western
>countries, but everyone should feel free to weigh in -- think of the
>expression "the global South." I really try hard to stay away from
>expressions that convey speakers are members of some special,
>exclusive, righteous club, so I don't like it. I have used it on a
>few occasions, out of a sense that "developing world" was too
>optimistic and imperialist -- though it's very accepted in policy
>wonk circles, probably for exactly this reason -- and "Third World"
>vaguely problematic.

I would guess that many non-Westerners dislike collective labeling of any 
kind by the West.

Here's my suggestion -- how about referring to non-Western countries as "R" 
-- as in Russell's Paradox, viz.:  "Some sets, such as the set of all 
teacups, are not members of themselves. Other sets, such as the set of all 
non-teacups, are members of themselves. Call the set of all sets that are 
not members of themselves 'R.' If R is a member of itself, then by 
definition it must not be a member of itself. Similarly, if R is not a 
member of itself, then by definition it must be a member of itself."  
<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/russell-paradox/>

That way you can label and *not* label these countries at the same time :)

Carl

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