gnome wrote: robbo203
Well, if there has been “a serious drop off in participation by members in the WSM forum” then I would venture to suggest that it’s due, at least in part, to persistent posts by various nutjobs such as Searle, Tapping, Howes, Tet and the biggest nutjob of them all, McDonut. I know for a fact that many members are heartily sick of reading posts from these individuals with super-egos who are, unwittingly no doubt, aided and abetted by well-intentioned folk who consider these monopolisers are ultimately capable of being swayed by reasoned argument.
There’s more chance of plaiting fog; the best way to deal with these people is to ignore them. Eventually they’ll go away!
Well i for one do not entertain any illusions at all about swaying such people by “reasoned argument” (though I dont think you can reasonably put Nick Tapping and Bob Howes in the same boat as Tet and McDonut – NT is fervant advocate of a moneyless society even if his approach to getting there may be questionable)
The reason for engaging these people in debate is not to “convert” them.; it is for the benefit of any third party who may be looking in on the debate and , indeed, ourselves too. I am a strong believer in the value of sharpening our critical teeth against any and all opponents. We should not be running away from critical arguments or burying out head in the sand and hoping they will go away if we ignore them. Even the most crackpot opponent can occasionally come up with something that tests our steel and prompts us to rethink. – even if it only means qualifying or rephrasing what we earlier said.
All this is grist to the mill of constantly improving and enhancing the case for revolutionary communism