From: zeborah@gmail.com   
      
   David Friedman  wrote:   
      
   > In article ,   
   >  "Suzanne Blom"  wrote:   
   >   
   > > This is why I   
   > > hate getting in these discussions.  You always end up saying something   
   > > like, 'It's not my understanding of Western Civilization.   
   >   
   > It's not anyone's understanding of "Western Civilization" that it   
   > includes Japan, Mongolia, and Ceylon, and always has. Yet that is what   
   > you are arguing.   
      
   Nonsense.  She initially said:   
      
   "Whether there is a pan-Eurasian society, whether the Woodland Indians   
   formed a society that is harder to figure out.  I am inclined to go for   
   the broad scope society because, for instance, China & Europe have the   
   same kind of land tenure systems, because of the conquests that middle   
   Asians made in both directions & so on & on."   
      
   You then rephrased this as "The pan-Eurasian society of which Western   
   society is a part", and Suzanne agreed that this was a fairly accurate   
   characterisation of her argument.  (Though she might have pointed out   
   that her initial claim was rather less dogmatic on the matter.)   
      
   And now somehow this has mutated in your mouth to the idea that "Western   
   Civilisation includes Japan, Mongolia and Ceylon".   
      
   Whether you're mischaracterising Suzanne's argument by accident or on   
   purpose, it doesn't give me confidence in the validity of your other   
   arguments.  Particularly because, of recent months, you've been   
   similarly mischaracterising a lot of people's arguments.   
      
   Zeborah   
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