Quote Originally Posted by christopher leigh View Post
If we assume that black and white mean good and evil, then choosing a 'grey' mixture is unacceptable. Now there are times when we can't act on our principles, because discrimination by the state prevents us from doing so.

That isn't so with Biara's stand. The government isn't stopping him sending his daughter to a state school. Therefore disliking private=sending daughter to state school.

Just a paragraph on Longdogs. I got in to trouble over that. It winds me up though when people of expected intelligence come on here lying to us. Telling us one thing and practising another. Then when I point out the hypocrisy she starts insulting me. That combined with other inappropriate remarks made at an earlier date.
That's a hell of an assumption to make. What about the political spectrum? What about sexuality? etc, etc, etc Hardly anything in life is as simple as good and evil or black and white. There are simply too many variables and permutations in the human condition to be so simplistic. Shades of grey aren't unacceptable, more often than not they're the most rational, compassionate and embracing stance to take.

I totally accept that Biara's decision could be interpreted as hypocritical but, I don't think you'd find many parents who'd put their own moral/political beliefs ahead of the long term welfare of their children. You could even argue that to do so would be selfish and immoral. This is an example of a variable making a black and white judgment impossible. An action that may seem immoral/wrong from one angle can easily appear moral/right from another. Also chucking around accusations of being a "wimp" etc is just petty , personal and beneath the debating standards that you like to credit yourself with.

The whole point of debating is to conduct a reasoned and impersonal discussion presenting valid evidence and informed argument. If someone succeeds in that then you should be gracious enough to concede points and, if necessary, change your own viewpoint. However, and I think this is why you manage to rub so many people up the wrong way on this forum rather than your often interesting/controversial opinions, you don't do this.

You tend to adopt a "fingers in ears loudly saying la, la, la" stone-walling approach, refusing to answer specific questions, not citing valid sources but instead resorting to circumstantial evidence, strange irrelevant analogies and subjective personal experience. This is why discussions involving you often become personal, it's nothing to do with your debating skill as you don't debate.

Come on, play the game properly and in the right spirit. You're obviously not stupid and the sort of nonsense with LD, The Heathens, me at times etc that we've all witnessed should be beneath you.