Hentor, Holmes,
First, I did not read the Lying Whore thread. I heard it was a train wreck and stayed away. My comments are based on this thread. And I do think that YWTF is too emotionally wrapped up in what the outcome might be to be open to opposing positions. I point you to my cite. I do think he has engaged fairly honorably, as have, I think, most that have participated, DMC, who I rarely agree with and don’t here, included.
When I question if a person has debated honestly I ask: have they engaged? Have they attempted to answer questions asked of them, provide cites when appropriate, allowed the opposition to walk them down a different path for a time? Have they fairly characterized the other’s position?
This thread, and I’ll restrict my comments to that part of the debate which I participated in and am most familiar with, I think all did those things fairly well. I think all of us could have done a better job with our analogies, both in constructiing them and not re-constructing them on each post as to avioid answering the question. But such is the problem with analogies.
Did things get testy? Sure. But the particpants seemed to be able to keep it to a minimum. I know I’ve seen threads (and I have been both witness to and guilty of this more than once) where the vitriol simply derails the debate. That didn’t happen here.
As far as Psychloan opening another thread, I commend him for it. He opened it in GQ (it was later moved) to confirm whether his thoughts on BI were sound. I commend him for going through the trouble to check. I actually wish this was done more. GQ can be a rteat resource, aas there are many knowledgable people who participate there but not in GD or The Pit.
I don’t know who is right in this case. From what has been offered and my thinking, I side with Bricker, Brandon, Psychloan, and others. But there are aspects, logically that I find troubling. More so on the other side, but such is the nature of this type of debate.
As to whether Psychloan has enough mastery of BR to take the tone that he did, first, I think the ugly tone came only at the very end, after everyone should have wlaked away agreeing to disagree. Prior to that, I see his behavior as being frustrated, just as YWTF was. He knows more about BI than I do, so it’s hard for me to judge how much license to grant him there. I must say, that when I came and decided to participate, I was surprised that they could go on as long as they did without the train crashing. I was also surprised after I left and came back from (the gym or Siera Leone?) and saw that things hot gotten uglier.
I’d be curious as to both your takes on the **EE’**s action, which prompted my comment. I find that type of behavior of the lowest order. The equivalent of the weak kid in a gang jumping into the fight after it is over and kicking the advesary, at no risk to himself, chanting “Yeah, take that. That’ll teach you to mess with us.”