tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10131050.post6516859305609411961..comments2024-03-01T08:19:54.547+00:00Comments on BobFromBrockley: Bollinger, Coatsworth and Mahmoud (goodbye testicles)bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439386754907203808noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10131050.post-43080293671202932922007-09-28T19:19:00.000+01:002007-09-28T19:19:00.000+01:00"Could Mahmoud, at that moment, have had less than..."Could Mahmoud, at that moment, have had less than absolute contempt for his host?"<BR/><BR/>Do we know with what amount of contempt he was already filled with, before he even set foot on that stage?<BR/> <BR/>Do we care?<BR/><BR/>The term Iranians use for a type of exaggerated respect and politeness in interpersonal relationship is "Taarof". "Taarof" refers to a social principle which is to indicate lower status for oneself while elevating the status of the person being addressed. <BR/><BR/>I've spoken to Iranians who are thoroughly fed up with this concept, which is often more of a camouflage for not-so-hidden hostilities or confrontation. It is a custom which perpetuates hypocrisy and prevents disagreement to be expressed in explicit and clear terms. Thus, it so happens that you declare respect to someone you hold in utter contempt. In other words, when someone expresses hypebolic respect to you, you simply brush it aside as "taarof" and wait for the end of the ceremony to get down to business. Bollinger, unwittingly I suspect, took this principle and stood it on its head. Which is why I thoroughly enjoyed his introduction. He did not pretend to have any respect for this person, who deserves no respect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10131050.post-29508264104618630542007-09-28T16:09:00.000+01:002007-09-28T16:09:00.000+01:00If Larry Summers is a monster for stating an opini...If Larry Summers is a monster for stating an opinion that there is a biological basis for gender preferences in academic and vocational pursuits, what about the supposed feminists who are apologists for myscogeny when practiced by Islamists out of "respect" for another "culture"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com