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Goanet mourns the passing of Jorge de Abreu Noronha in Portugal - Nov 27/07
http://tinyurl.com/2dk2bl
http://tinyurl.com/29kpdx
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Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 8:27:40 -0800
From: Gilbert Lawrence <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
I have presented my definition of the term Goan
casteism. To repeat, - inflating one's ego/resume by
demeaning another Goan/institution. In my effort to
join the fight against Goan casteism, I intend to
point to anyone engaging in this behavior.
>
Mario responds:
>
Gilbert,
>
I advised you to stop digging from the bottom of your
hole on casteism, but you seem determined to continue.
>
You are now displaying a version of Bill Clinton's
infamous sophistry when cornered by a question, "It
all depends on what the meaning of "is" is."
>
Your version boils down to, "It all depends on what
the meaning of "caste" is.
>
Here we are, engaged in a serious attempt to stamp out
the diabolical caste system. I am ranting my head off
and "inflating my resume":-)). Then we find that you
have turned the English language on its head by
redefining what caste means in the first place.
>
Let's see how this works in practice:
>
By turning the definition of caste upside down, now
Cornel and I and Victor and everyone who is against
the caste system are, voila, rabid casteists with
greatly "inflated resumes"!
>
Gilbert, on the other hand, is now magically part of
the "the fight against Goan casteism."
>
Hey, this is fun! By redefining brown as white, India
is now a country of white people!
>
By redefining atheism, Santosh and Kevin and
Christopher Hitchens - who is curiously named after
Christ - are now veritable Sadhus, complete with
saffron robes, chanting Ommmm!
>
By redefining agnosticism, Selma is now the closest
thing to a nun with no more concerns about what to
teach her daughter:-))
>
But wait! That would make Gilbert a rabid atheist!
>
I guess this redefining business can be a double edged
sword:-))
>
I think I have just illustrated absurdity by being
absurd. Perhaps, the next time Gilbert, or anyone
else, decides to redefine words that have meanings
settled by hundreds of years of day-to-day usage, they
should take their illogic full circle. They will find
that it has come up behind them to bite them in their
own proverbial butts.
>
