MM> G'morning Bob,

 BK>>  In the last month I do believe I've had the opportunity to
 BK>>  participate in two potentially decent debates on Fidonet. One
 BK>>  involved an accusation that John Kerry outed a CIA operative,
 BK>>  the other was with someone who actually presented a case to back
 BK>>  up the accusation that Clinton committed perjury.

 MM> Err... did anybody in these debates have any actual
 MM> experience of the CIA outing or of the matters which may
 MM> have been perjured ?

 Of course not. Those who accused had nothing to back it up.

 MM> Here in NZ we have a new battle between the PM and the top
 MM> policeman, over an incident 6 years back.  The debate is
 MM> fierce as an election looms, and every instant expert under
 MM> the sun is fanning the flames ...  with no input so far
 MM> from the 3 people actually present at the original incident
 MM> sparking the affair.

 Throw the bastards out. All of them.

 MM> The sound and the fury has settled along political party
 MM> lines, and their artilleries are now sighting in their
 MM> really big guns...

 Sounds like fun.

 MM> None of it actually assists the truth of the matter,  which
 MM> seems driven deeper and deeper into the ruins like some
 MM> hapless refugee orphan....

 That is so common as to be normal.

 BK>>  Now, I have often challenged conservatives to support the latter
 BK>>  accusation, but few have even tried.

 BK>>  This was like the old days in Fido, when you could actually
 BK>>  engage in an exchange of ideas. It was fun. Unfortunately both
 BK>>  were also short lived. In both cases the conservative reverted
 BK>>  to the typical "everybody knows it's true" type defense.

 BK>>  Somehow, in Fido today, debate is equated with agreeing with the
 BK>>  republican position. Any disagreement is flaming.

 MM> Reminds me of the old joke about the concerned citizen
 MM> rushing up to a young cop with news of a street battle
 MM> between gangs of prostitutes and TV/TG's - just around the
 MM> corner,  only to hear the policeman simper "Oh .. I DO hope
 MM> MY side wins...".
 Hmmm...

 BK>>  A real exchange of ideas seems to be in short supply.
 BK>>  Are you sure it isn't time for a colorful metaphor?

 MM> SNAFU times,  I think...  nothing changes with humans, 
 MM> across time or location.

 Yes, it does...it gets worse.

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn{at}sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... After seeing Windows I realized Bill Gates is an idiot.
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