# Jared Diamond responds to Romney's misrepresentation of "Guns, Germs, and Steel"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jared-diamond-responds-to-romneys-misrepresentation-of-guns-germs-and-steel/630473>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 5, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jared-diamond-responds-to-romneys-misrepresentation-of-guns-germs-and-steel/630473 "2012-08-05T01:18:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 68

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jared-diamond-responds-to-romneys-misrepresentation-of-guns-germs-and-steel/630473/68 "2012-08-07T04:12:52Z")

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> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#):
>
> Please, for the fourth time, list them.

> [@greenslime1951](#):
>
> No. (Most people would realize that when a request/demand is ignored three times, it’s unlikely to be fulfilled upon a fourth such demand.)

No one is compelled to respond to another poster’s questions. greenslime is correct that if you have asked a question three times with no answer, the person questioned is likely not going to do so at subsequent requests.

Persistent badgering for an answer is harrassment and it will stop.

On the other hand, it is also true that a poster who makes an assertion that he or she refuses to support may be simply ducking the fact that the idea has no support and other posters are free to point out that fact.

= = =

> [@FinnAgain](#):
>
> More people would realize that, often, when someone makes a claim in a debate and refuses to provide proof when challenged multiple times, it’s because their argument was full of shit and they can’t support it and aren’t going to retract it instead.

> [@greenslime1951](#):
>
> This “prove it! prove it! prove it!” stuff is pointless. It’s just another way of saying, “nyahh, nyahh, I disagree with you.” I didn’t ask for “PROOOOOOF” for a couple of IW’s assertions, even though they were pretty out-there.
> 
> Of course, the next step in this internet kiddie tactic is to assert that the person who refuses to provide “PROOOOF” is doing so because his argument is, as you put it, “full of shit.” There are other possible reasons why, in fact, and please come back in thirty years when you’ve figured out what those might be.

Both of you will stop this sort of childish exchange.

Stick to actually discussing the topic on its own merits and omit discussions regarding the debating tactics of others.

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> [@Chen019](#):
>
> That would put him on a par with Jared ‘Blank Slate’ Diamond.

And now you are going to mischaracterize Diamond as well. (And if this was an attempt to open a wedge for another of your assertions that those dark people are dumb, then open a new thread to do so, rather than further hijacking this one.)  
[/Moderating]

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