“Remember when a colonizing power tried to exterminate your people?”
Haw haw.
Though seriously most Americans think the potato famine was a natural disaster and have no idea why it is called the great hunger.
honestly I just read it as Irish people liking potatoes, similar to the stereotype that Germans like sauerkraut
Irish people were forced to eat potatoes because they were subjugated by british lords who took everything else they farmed. When the potato “famine” happened, they were actually still producing plenty of other food, just that the British lords didnt care and still forced them to hand it over.
Admittedly this is the extent of my knowledge on the situation, so you should look it up yourself if you want to know more.
The “Joke” at the irish guy in the greentext is actually pretty insensitive and rude, much moreso than asking a german why he didnt order sauerkraut.
Potatoes aren’t even native to Ireland.
Seems like everyone there but anon didn’t understand the insult implied and got upset when it was returned in kind.
Like all other 4chan it’s just fake news, but it would make a lot more sense to school them and what the potato famine was actually about rather than to assume they’re getting in a pissing match.
Also, in any case where coworkers are worried enough about race and politics to go to HR they’re not going to sit around and talk about ethnic stereotypes. If you’re going to sit around and talk about ethnicity and stereotypes you’ve already made a social pact that everybody isn’t going to get butt hurt and go to HR.
At my old place five of us got together once every few weeks and had a nice dinner out. It was America so nobody that was there was first generation anything. We were descendants, Irish Israeli, black, Vietnamese. If the Jewish guy would have made the potato famine joke to the Irish guy, and the Irish guy did come back with bombing hospitals, The worst outcome would be the Jewish guy would have said touche new subject and we would have continued bs about work, sports, or technology.
The only response to that should have been a “too soooon!” Followed by uproarus laughter
That’s a hilarious retort imo.
Once I had a teacher who was trying to boast to me that his uncle or someone worked in engineering some American bomber, and I responded with “how many iraqis did that kill?” I didn’t get into trouble.
With this kinda thing, better to report to HR first than make a counter joke.