How to Debate

[Boleslav]

First up, I think this thread should be stickied.

1. From an moral standpoint, yes. A heartless leader who can't put aside his work for a few hours to see his family is not the sort you want running anything. However, in a more practical sense, you wouldn't want him sacrificing the nation to save his family.

2. Without a family. Having dependents causes a person to feel more mortal. They think more about their own safety, that of their family, and most importantly, about their legacy. The number of political decisions that have been made to look good in textbooks rather than do the right thing is astronomical.

(1) Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purposes of the exchange).
(2) Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.
(3) Do not say what you believe to be false.
(4) Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.
(5) Be relevant.
(6) Avoid obscurity of expression.
(7) Avoid ambiguity.
(8) Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity).
(9) Be orderly.

So I rate this post 7/9. I think some statements are made without evidence, and the last sentence seems semi-detached from the rest of the ideas in the post.

[Rota]

Facts are for wimps.
I trust my gut instinct to let me know that the truthiness of my beliefs prove that I'm right in every opinion, despite what your lousy "facts" might say.


Disclaimer: The above statement is not endorsed by Rota. Facts are the only real currency of any value in any debate.