As noted the other day, the most important political effect of the Katrina disaster has been to raise the ambient temperature of discussions of race relations back to scalding. It is refreshing to turn from Jared Taylor's deft handling of the grim and dangerous facts to view the comic scene of an Administration-cheerleading blog running shrieking out of the risk zone.

Damnum Absque Injuria had been trying to widen its appeal by some mild harrumping on the immigration and race issues. It has even linked to VDARE.com is the past. But Steve Sailer's latest, widely read essay shattered DAI's nerve

I rarely do public de-linkings, and as a general rule, am more like inclined to mock than to follow those who do. I'm making an exception for VDare...I am concerned by the possibility that my frequent criticism of phony charges of racism could be construed to mean I think all charges of racism are phony. They aren't. Most are, I suspect, but that doesn't make the real cases any less real or any less worthy of condemnation. One such example appears in today's article by Steve Sailer of VDare which was, until today, on my blogroll...

To this day, African witchdoctors (PC: Traditional healers) are reputed to be able induce death in healthy but credulous adults with a ritual curse. VDARE.com is unlikely to follow their examples. But this blogger's resort to a similar ritual is worth a thought. One of several regular writers on a website produces a piece, which although factual and reasoned, annoys/frightens you. So you respond, not with argument or evidence, but with abuse . Then, in effect, you try to ban your readers from seeing the offending material.

This is not the tradition which gave rise to Western science. It is the tradition which creates hate-driven theocracies - of which the Islamic world is far from the only supplier. Shades of Victor Davis Hanson!