A word to anons

Debate, discussion and argument have rules, much like other activities in life. They are based in sound reason, like extensions of your mothers’ warnings – don’t run while holding sharp objects…

Obviously, if one chooses to broadcast their beliefs (developing or immutable) then it is proper to garnish stated positions with some kind of supporting evidence. Becuase I said so does not wash.

To simply think, feel, believe something in the absence of some kind of supporting argument is a worthless exercise; an exercise lacking any authority or force.

To dress unsupported supposition with epithets is tantamount to an admission of the bankruptsy of the thoughts expressed.

Cloaking the thoughts (we can hardly call them arguments if unsupported) with anonymity speaks of uncertainty, or worse, of cowardice.

I would draw an analogy with snipers and suicide bombers, but even they display more dignity than the hit and run, anonymous commenter.

Know your enemy (if you seem intent on having enemies). You can cover your own identity, with all that entails, but you are generally attacking those with a body of writing which adequately reveals much about the writer.

For example, I am not a ‘liberal’ in the proper political sense of the strange American usage of the word. I am not, philosophically, a leftist; although it seems to be a convenient basket to lump me in.

My writing will show that I am fundamentally a humanitarian who subscribes to Keynesian economic principles. (In shorthand, that is the economic model on which the effective Marshall plan was based.)

My beliefs, however, are not immutable, and more than anything I detest minds which are unable to respond to the constant changes in our cultures.

I am an Internationalist, and have made that clear through my writing. That belief is rooted in the fact of obvious inter-related cause and effect, regardless of borders and narrow mindsets.

Most of all, having gone to the trouble of researching issues, I have little time for mindless hit-and-run stupidity.

I am willing to engage in discussion and debate from all sides. But it must be just that, otherwise I reserve my right to hit the delete button.

So please, if you have anything of value to contribute to the discussion, by all means join in. Otherwise you do yourself, your ‘beliefs’ and the positions you support no favours. You simply demean and belittle them and yourself.

If you choose to be anonymous (and some of you have left enough clues to some kind of identity) then that is your choice. Just think about adding to, rather than diminishing discussion.