Intelligent discussion, on the other hand, has rules.

Amen, Rap. Those rules are the rules of debate. You put up your case, the opposition puts up theirs. You refute their opposition, they answer to that. People ask questions. A vote is taken on who had the stronger argument. End of debate.

Sadly that does not happen here, as is witnessed by the threads with thousands of posts that seem to go on ad infinitum with people rehashing the same old arguments and not giving up until everyone else does! That is not how to win a debate or even how to conduct yourself in real life. Say what you want. Let other people have their say. Reply to them. Let them reply to you. Let it go.

I, and some others, have tried to help by not responding at all to certain parties. It works for me and seems to have cleaned up the threads a little.