well, yeah! jungles got big snakes and stuff!
Well, sneer what you like, but I'm just not sure. I've never seen a snake in the wild in the U.S. that was more than maybe 6 or 7 feet long. I'm sure there are bigger ones, though, maybe 8 or 9 foot behemoths. But 12 feet? 15? I've heared of em, but I've got suspicions.
Besides which, I realize HI has snakes, but I don't think they're native to their jungles and yet we still call 'em jungles. Look, I don't toss my tea in the ocean and say "look at the icebergs." There's a difference in magnitude between staring down at a tiny cube and looking straight on at the bane of the Titanic - and that difference exists someplace else other than the admittedly small range between my two ears. We distinguish between things when we notice differences sufficient to warrant distinction, and YES, many times when they aren't. I know there are people who can look into the television snow and see alien abductors.
I don't doubt that words are used to justify imperialism, colonialism, every nasty thing that everyone always wanted to believe about western governements, religions, people, true or contrived. (I don't even doubt there are people who are convinced they should be deeply offended by the of these terms - no doubt at all.) I just don't think this is a good example.
k
