[asolove]

I think you are talking about this line in the article:

> So, why didn’t he omit the racist quip about “Orientals”?

This is specifically in reference to a quote from Orwell at the top of the article:

> > coolies I had hit with my fist in moments of rage (nearly everyone does these things in the East, at any rate occasionally: Orientals can be very provoking)

The author of this article is primarily objecting not to the use of the word "Orientals" but to the defense that it's ok to beat them because everyone does it and they are annoying.

I think what the author is asking is: if he has had such a change of heart, why not simply omit this excuse? Why still provide justification that it is ok for a white person to beat a colonial subject because their cultural norms are different and annoying to the white person?

[mcmcmc]

I read it as more of “Everyone hits each other here so it’s cool”, implying a culture of violence rather than saying they make great punching bags.

[deodar]

That's reaching rather far to defend violence against human beings just for the color of their skin.

[mcmcmc]

And it’s equally a reach to say they were being beaten just for the color of their skin. Unless you’ve perfected both the arts of mind reading and time travel. Why are you assuming that I’m defending something rather than merely offering a different interpretation?

[deodar]

> “Everyone hits each other here so it’s cool”

This leap of conclusion gave it away. I'd be happy to be wrong but honestly the racist intent feels obvious to me.