[Superman]

The reason we cannot have an intelligent discussion here on interesting topics like economics, social and fiscal policy or even biology or environmental sciences is not because RWebb posts information about the growing (this is a fact BTW, which is not even debated among economists) gap between the rich and the poor, or because techweenie suggests that the VAST majority of climate experts believe humans are causing global warming. The reason we cannot have these discussions is because folks like Island911 blow the discussion to smithereens with personal attacks.

I don't discuss interesting topics with people who are afraid of those discussions to the degree they will revert to personal attacks in order to avoid them. If I get together with techweenie or RWebb, or anybody else who is brave enough to permit a civil exchange, then I will very much enjoy the experience. I think these kinds of topics are very important and very interesting. But again, some folks are apparently very frightened by them.