Emma B "Simply trading insults.............doesn't appear to me to serve any useful purpose".

I agree. I know it's very hard to resist rising to the bait when "Sam" or one of his mates posts some virulent racist rubbish, and I'll own up it's happened to me. But honestly, these people are not worth arguing with. There are a lot of otherwise good sound folk out there who are seduced by racist arguments, because they just don't understand the issues involved. But case hardened fascists are noxious and narrow minded. And they are like a bunch of childish kids shouting abuse to draw attention to themselves. If Mudcat people ignored them they would stop posting.