Quote from Brass:
Cutting and pasting is not "debate." I don't present myself as an expert. I've heard both sides of the argument and have made my choice based on reasoned judgment. You don't have any more special information or knowledge than the sources you regularly cite. So there is no real debate, there is at best reference made to arguments already presented. And even that leads to nowhere because of what you guys are capable of: calling Keynes a supply-sider. Just like when jem reads more into Dawkins off-handed comment that the universe "appears" designed. It's just not a rabbit hole worth taking.
The thing about ET is that the fringe gets far more air time here than in the real world. There's that false equivalency thing again, eh?
I honestly don't get you folks. You call it cut and paste, and it technically is, but when we point out facts and data and don't cut and paste, you scream about how we need a source. So which is it?
Cutting and pasting articles, supporting documents, etc. is part of an online debate. It's when ALL you do is cut and paste and offer no commentary of your own in how it relates to the point of contention that it is useless. If all you're going to do is throw links around, that isn't debate.
As for Jem and his religious arguments, this is economics - something you can show definitive information on. It's nothing at all like a discussion on the nature of the universe.
You keep posting excuses for not debating, but, you refer to me as stupid. However I'm the one that is offering you the chance to prove how stupid I am. Yet you are the one who is apprehensive of getting into the debate. You then claim it's because of my "style" of debating, yet in every other thread, you are engaged in flame wars of a far greater magnitude than anything I have ever thrown your way, so that can't be it either.
In every economics thread I've tried to make a point, I've referred to sources, data and supporting logic in all of my arguments, yet neither Ricter, bigarrow nor now you wish to engage with me to debate the points I have made. Each time you attack me, or the author of the article. Rarely, if ever, has any one of you made a counter argument to something in the meat of the discussion.
Observers of the thread have thrown out why they believe this is, and I am inclined to agree - but would like to offer you the ability to prove me wrong. I honestly would like to debate this stuff with someone on "your" side who is capable, willing and informed enough to do so. But I just can't seem to find one who has any of those three characteristics - much less all of them.
I don't challenge your side on many other topics, simply because I don't feel I have solid ground to form my argument outside of opinions. This doesn't seem to stop many of you wading into economics discussion when you clearly aren't willing to back up your words and "cut and pastes".