Greetings Seshatasefekht,

i see we have abandoned the quest for genetic evidence and have moved on to broader themes. This is probably for the best, as i have a sneaking suspicion tat we may well both be a little guilty of speaking out of our area of expertise on this one.

As for my request regarding your implication of doublespeak, i was simply requesting clarification. I fully support your implicit right to refuse that request, but to try and cover it up with what amounts to being a thinly veiled personal attack is, i believe, against the spirit of the reasonings that we generally have.

To move on to what i believe are your main points, i had a read of the article, and found it to be much the same as many similar others that i have read. Scientific skepticism can be a fierce thing, and i have at times been withered in that particular fire myself. I really couldnt speak to the accuracy of their critique as i havent read the original source that they are deconstructing.

As for the idea of 'non-white' peoples being racist, my experience would suggest that indeed they can. The japanese attitude to koreans and chinese that has a very lengthy history is an example of this. They use all of the classic hallmarks of racist thought, legal, economic, and physical discrimination, separation, and violence, references to the people concerned being 'non-human', the works. In a similar way the classical chinese literature is sprinkled with any number of references to the inherent inferirity of other racial groups. That to me is racism. If you are asking whether it is possible for africans to be racist i am unable to answer as, hailing from where i do, i have little personal contact with african people. But at least in a theoretical sense of course they could be, if you define racism as the belief that another racial group is inherently inferior to your own. To find ot whether this is actually happening or not would be something of a major undertaking. And would in my opinion be an utter waste of time. My guess is that the average african person has better things to worry about than irrationaly hating all white, asian, or other folks, and that even if they did, given their level of disempowerment it wouldnt make any tangible difference anyway.

You are also right about the VERY unlevel playing field that many of these sorts of questions are debated upon. African people definately need to have control of the same kinds of institutions and resources that europeans have for things to be 'fair'. Better still would be the development of purely african insttitutions based on their/your way of overstanding that could act in contrast and permanent discourse with western ones, and hopefully with asian, pacific, and any other possible form of social organisation and overstanding.

Then the converstaion would really be interesting. I am, for what it is worth, acutely aware of my inherent privelege in many situations. I have been born into a society where i am able to pursue my hunger for overstanding in an almost unfettered way. I exist in a place with sophisticated educational institutions and by virtue of my position have access to vast oceans of data and ideas. But seshatesfekht i would NEVER willingly seek to use this to gain advantage over you. The reason that i continue these conversations with you is because of theesteem andrespect that i hold for your opinions and perspectives, and for the often startling difference that they hold from my own.

It is also something of a hope that i hold that in some small way the fact that we can be coming from such radically different perspectives and still continue our conversation in a respectful and occasionally playful manner may be at least enertaining for the occasional bystander, and useful for the pair of us.

love and life
paul