This is all I plan to say on this particular subject - but in amongst Dickey's numberless and copious cut-and-pastes he has raised a valid issue or two - but mainly what he has done is try to goad and score points off Bobert. He puts words in other people's mouths, then argues against those words, ignores half of what the others actually say because it doesn't fit his preconceptions of them or the issue under discussion. Unfortunately, people have been taking him more seriously than they should and have been trying to reason with him - eventually they get frustrated and say something intemperate, which he then jumps on it triumphantly. Like a bratty kid trying to get the better of the teacher. Look at the number of times he's talked about how we're all trying to give the message to the poor that someone else is to blame for their poverty - when no one has indicated anything at all about giving any kind of message to the poor about blaming anybody. What we have talked about is working with the poor and trying to help them onto their feet and out of poverty, and, yes, there has been considerable complaint about lack of funds for social welfare programs. I suppose Dickey thinks the poor are all avidly reading this thread and getting dagerous messages about who's to blame ... There has also been a lot of talk about self-defeating attitudes that are part of the cycle of poverty - then Dickey comes in and says in effect none of us want to admit that the poor have self-defeating attitudes. Then he lists a whack of statistics, and if someone responds to them, the next thing he does is claim that no one has responded to his statistics, or asks a question, and if someone answers it, he is soon declaring that no one has answered his question. It is apparent he has no interest in discussion, no interest in trying to reach any deeper understanding - which is why I gave up trying to respond to his posts way, way, way up the thread.

Okay - I've wasted enough time ...