Predictably for him, Louis Blair has snipped
much of what was written out-of-context
in order to serve his polemical purposes.

Louis Blair wrote:
Nick wrote (2 Feb 2006 15:59:16 -0800):
To what extent does Louis Blair *imagine* that
he's aware of the existence of anti-Chinese
racism in the West, particularly in the United
States?

Since Nick presents no valid reason for me to be
obliged to take up such a topic, I shall not do so.

Evidently, Louis Blair regards the existence of
anti-Chinese racism in the West as irrelevant to
any discussion of cultural differences between
China and Western societies. Or Louis Blair
may regard the existence of anti-Chinese racism
in the West as a too uncomfortable subject for
himself to contemplate.

I wrote (1 Feb 2006 09:45:57 -0800):
Does Nick deny the existence of differences of
custom and culture between Europe and China?

What a condescending question from Louis Blair!

Would Louis Blair (an eminent Sinologist?) like
to pontificate about the cultural differences between
Europe and China? May I ask Louis Blair how I
should translate some more difficult Chinese texts?

If not, is there a way to refer to such differences
without someone feeling obliged to start talking
about "racist stereotyping, condescension,
prejudice, and hatred"?

Nick wrote (2 Feb 2006 15:59:16 -0800):

Louis Blair has deliberately snipped what I wrote
about how I have discussed the cultural differences
between China and Western societies and
anti-Chinese racism in the West with other people.

*Louis Blair's deliberate snipping has seriously
distorted the context of what I wrote.*
Louis Blair prefers to begin quoting me
out-of-context (below):

in any discussion with Louis Blair about the
cultural differences between China and
Western societies, I would emphasize the
importance of anti-Chinese racism in the
West, particularly in the United States,
because I am far from convinced that Louis
Blair has an adequate understanding of
*the facts about anti-Chinese racism*.

If I am following Nick correctly,

Louis Blair has deliberately snipped what I wrote
out-of-context, thereby seriously distorting it.
I doubt that Louis Blair has any sincere interest
in understanding exactly what I mean.

his answer to both of my questions is "no".

Not exactly, but it's a waste of time to explain it
again to someone as disingenuous as Louis Blair.

He agrees that there are differences of custom
and culture between Europe and China,

Oh, really, I never had even considered that possibility
until the enlightened Louis Blair brought it up! (much
sarcasm intended)

but I am not to be allowed to say anything related
to that subject

That's not exactly what I wrote, but I have stopped
caring about what Louis Blair might think of it.

without Nick taking it upon himself to make sure that I
have, in his view, "an adequate understanding of *the
facts about anti-Chinese racism*."

As far as I can tell from what Louis Blair has written
(not necessarily only in this thread), Louis Blair seems
ignorant of or insensitive to racism, at least in some
contexts. I do not single Louis Blair out for criticism
on account of that. In my view, most people seem
ignorant of or insensitive to racism in some contexts.
If you have not experienced a lifetime of racism,
then you tend to be less sensitive to racism than
someone who has had such experiences.

Unfortunately, Louis Blair seems to believe that
'cultural differences' and racism must be necessarily
unrelated subjects, and he seems to feel quite
uncomfortable about considering the latter subject.

Would Louis Blair prefer to have, say, a discussion of
the cultural differences between Christians and Jews
in 1930s Germany without ever mentioning any facts
about anti-Semitism? That *could* be possible *if*
it's already accepted that *everyone* in the discussion
*already* has an adequate understanding of the facts
about anti-Semitism. But if someone in the discussion
does *not have that adequate understanding of the facts*,
then it seems extremely dishonest to discuss 'cultural
differences' without mentioning facts about anti-Semitism.

If that is indeed his attitude,

Not exactly. Perhaps Louis Blair should consider
reading more carefully what he chooses to snip.

I can only regard it with contempt
and shall do so in the future.

I can only regard Louis Blair with disdain on account of
his continuing disingenuous snipping and distortion of
other writer(s)'s meanings.

Nick wrote (2 Feb 2006 15:59:16 -0800):
I also have to say that I am not convinced
that Louis Blair has shown any substantial
interest in gaining an adequate understanding
of the facts about anti-Chinese racism.

And I have to say that I see absolutely no
reason why I should be obliged to demonstrate
such an interest to Nick.

Indeed, Louis Blair and I have no professional or
personal relationships, and each of us should be
free to regard the other with disdain.

I hardly would be surprised that Louis Blair may
take no interest in learning facts about racism.

Nick wrote (2 Feb 2006 15:59:16 -0800):
I make no apology for writing accurately about
some of the facts of anti-Chinese racism.
If Louis Blair feels uncomfortable about those
facts, then that's his problem.

If Nick wants to put his writings on racism into
responses to my notes with the expectation
of me taking up subjects according to his
wishes, that is his problem. He is not going
to get his way.

For the record, I did *not* expect Louis Blair to
'take up (the) subject' of racism because I have
no reason to believe that Louis Blair has any
particular knowledge of or interest in that subject.
What he has written since then has corroborated
my earlier impression of him.

I already have written that I regret the way in which
I initially introduced (I was writing too quickly) the
subject of racism, which I did not intend as a personal
criticism of Louis Blair. I can understand that
Louis Blair may have perceived it as a provocation,
which I did not intend. But I prefer not to censor
myself in writing about racism simply because
many other people evidently prefer to have
such writings censored.

Much of what Louis Blair has written since then has
been, in my view, disingenuous and inappropriate.

--Nick