A private debate is of course a waste of time, but making it public certainly isn't.

Your target audience isn't those who have made up their minds one way or the other, but those who, through some travesty of education, are ignorant of the truth.

The danger of the debate being repressed is that there are potentially more people who are ignorant of the truth, and therefore there are more people to recruit from.

In a public forum like this one, it is therefore essential to explain yourself fully, carefully and politely, lest you alienate someone who might otherwise have been swayed by your argument.

BBC world service, CNN etc have a responsibility to ensure that this information never dies.

The big mistake is to take for granted peoples knowledge, understanding, understanding and agreement.

The next mistake is to get upset when you are surprised to discover that you have made the first mistake.

Knowledge is like anything else. It decays and dies unless it is nurtured.