Even the Mudcat mocking birds have their moments of lucidity and humanity.

Wrong. We are all about lucidity and humanity. If you want to see what real inhumanity is, go and read some of the trash emanating from some of the crypto-fascists who post on the Israel thread, or in any thread which discusses homosexuality. That's the problem, innit. Have a go at people who call you names but ignore (as with them) or defend (as with pete) the unbalanced and the downright unsavoury. If you want a good forum with strong discussion, you have to give these people no quarter. Build an ethos that effectively excludes their notions (not them). Simple as that. Too many people who comment in these threads are choosing the wrong targets.