Fair enough Keith. I find it hard to read what I wrote in the sense that you understood it, but evidently I should have made my meaning clearer.
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I believe we should always try to understand people we are engaged with in an exchange of views in a way that treats them with respect, and on the basis that they believe what they say to be true, and always to try to identify points of agreement. That even, and indeed especially, applies when we might doubt the honesty of those with whom we are dealing. (That is addressed to Dave, rather than Keith.)

Thisa tradition of disputation that has a long history, and I think it particularly relevant in the context of the internet. Here is a surprisingly relevant blog article that repays serious study.