Rex Kerr
Sep 16, 2021

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That's better, and yes, of course implications matter. Still, outside of context, Bell could mean that "a substantial number of white people will always be racist". All is a very high bar, even for implication. (I don't know whether Bell does the "racism is only racism when white people do it, ostensibly because I like the definition that requires nationwide institutional power" thing; that also is relevant here. But even if he fully endorses that view, the quotes despair of a solution, but don't specify the fraction of perpetrators.)

So I still don't think you've made your case very clearly with regards to Bell. With the others, I think implication covers it.

("All" doesn't have to mean 100.00000%, just "any exceptions are rare enough to be neglected for all practical purposes".)

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Rex Kerr
Rex Kerr

Written by Rex Kerr

One who rejoices when everything is made as simple as possible, but no simpler. Sayer of things that may be wrong, but not so bad that they're not even wrong.

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