You are now trying to define rules of debate on Mudcat. Whether I agree or not is not the issue and, at the risk of repeating what was said just up the thread, this is not your gig. Acceptable behaviour on a Mudcat debate is whatever the forum management decide it is. If posts are deleted without explanation, either live with it or complain to them. If a thread is closed, tough. If a thread is deleted altogether, it is probably for a good reason. I think most of the recent moderation has been due to circular arguments leading the thread nowhere. It gets to a certain point that it becomes obvious no benefit can be gained. At that point I suggest it is time for a beer while the moderation team may well choose to put it out of it's misery. In both cases the world becomes a better place :-)