[Foundation-l] Liu Xiaobo

[Phil Nash]

SlimVirgin wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 16:11, Phil Nash <phnash at blueyonder.co.uk>
> wrote:
>> I expect you might have an apology and weakly-argued defence
>> tomorrow, when you might have sobered up, but right now you are on
>> thin ice in epistemological terms and are closer to a 17-year old
>> newly-"radicalised" student than a considered scholar.
>>
>> Shame on you, and that's without discussing the legal system of
>> China.
>
> He was being ironic.

Jonathan Swift was at least plausible in that regard (although satire rather 
than irony), because his writing was so obviously pointed that the clever 
people got the message and  the stupids didn't. Damian failed in being 
inadequately excessive, perhaps, and ended up being plausible without going 
further. I realise that subtlety is an artform, but it doesn't always show 
itself in mere words.