So on another (sort of) topic. I sat down for coffee with a German colleauge of mine today. Highly educated, very nice guy, yet surprisingly conservative in views. He expressed concern with the immigration situation in Germany. I nodded. He said the welcomng of refugees is a politcal move by Merkel to expunge German war guilt. I got his point but was careful not to agree.

So it seems it is not just Ong who is both bright and xenophobic.

fwiw, I also have an English friend, former student, bright guy, who is sympathetic to immigrants but grew up in a nearly 100% Anglony Saxony area of London and is seeing immigrants move in and is uneasy. I guess with my ethnic background it is hard to sympathize but on some level I kind of get it.