# What separates "debate" from "bickering"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-separates-debate-from-bickering/582545>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [May 20, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-separates-debate-from-bickering/582545 "2011-05-20T06:29:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-separates-debate-from-bickering/582545/3 "2011-05-20T13:25:33Z")

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> [@Left wing antisemitism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-antisemitism/581985/351):
>
> Not at all. Your confusion is quite obviously sincere.
> 
> If you don’t even know about the peace treaty with Egypt, much less about how it came about, then the ignorance is not mine.

> [@Left wing antisemitism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-antisemitism/581985/352):
>
> I am well versed in Israel’s wars. You seemed to think of Begin as…some kind of moral hero or something. With all of your virulent rhetoric, I figured you were speaking negatively of him.

> [@Left wing antisemitism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-antisemitism/581985/353):
>
> Then the responsibility for your confusion is entirely your own.
> 
> Now do please go study the history Israel-Egypt peace treaty before your confusion spreads further.

> [@Left wing antisemitism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-antisemitism/581985/354):
>
> Again, I’m sorry you don’t understand Israeli political history enough to get the joke.

I think the quotes that you have in the OP are debate, but **tom** ’s post came after this little back and forth, which seems a lot like bickering to me. YMMV.

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