I like to debate. I do it with all sorts of people, online and offline. I like to probe other people’s views, examine my own views, challenge ideas, have my own ideas challenged and hopefully learn things in the process.

To me, the sign of an honest debate is when small little areas of agreement are forged along the way. Many, many times I will concede points or agree with general sentiments even as I disagree with a broader point. I do this for 2 reasons, one, I am honest with myself and I’m not arguing for arguments sake, so I don’t take a partisan or opposition view on every little issue. I’m honest. Two, it’s a show of good faith in the debate that I’m not going to argue the sky is green just because you say it is blue. I’ll concede the obvious and my hope is that my opponent will concede the obvious, too.

The debates I tire of, like my recent outbursts at Say Anything, are the ones where no middle ground is sought, where nothing is ever conceded and where the goal is to trounce and not to engage. It’s no longer valid debate when the ideas because secondary to gamesmanship.

In addition, in a many-against-one hogpile, which I can’t imagine is fun for anybody except the most petty amongst us, you are damned no matter what you do. For example, I was called a coward if I didn’t come back but a loser if I did! There was no action I could take where the hooligans wouldn’t accuse me of being wrong.

I regret at times that I don’t ignore the retards and engage with the rational ones. There were a few comments that had honest questions with an honest possibility of debate. Those voices, unfortunately, are drowned out by the assholes who are looking for blood and honor from the mob.

Not one of the cowards at Say Anything have commented on my many liberal rantings here at lolife.com. I guess they get scared when they are not in a pack. I suspect, with the wonders of google and technorati, they may someday appear. Be kind to them.

BTW, I didn’t learn a single thing over there. Not one new piece of information. If a liberal says the sky is blue, we’d get a long lecture about how at night the sky is black, clouds can make the sky gray and near sunset at the horizon things get a reddish hue. Liberals can not say anything true, ever, at Say Anything. That is why I shan’t be reading or commenting there anymore.