Mainstream Media Idiocy
You know the one thing I love about the mainstream media? Its the relentless mischaracterizations, straw man arguments, and AD Homenim pouring out of poorly crafted essays of Sophistry and pathos proselytizing such as this. Please people for the love of God I beg of you, when you want to critique a political philosophy or theory please do the following:
Define your terminology. If nobody knows the definitions for the terms you are using, the debate quickly begins to look esoteric and puts the audience to sleep.
Provide relevant examples or analogies that expose flaws in the argument or that show that the opponent fits the characteristics of the terms you choose to use. Nothing is worse than someone who is only looking to slander their opponent and levy libelous claims against their character. I can't think of one person who would want to debate that.
Furnish sources with evidence and data to corroborate your claims and clarify if necessary. If you do not have at least a minimum preponderance of data from different sources, you are putting forth an opinion that anyone could easily counter by saying that their opinion runs contrary to yours so therefore you are wrong. Nothing of value has actually been said and precious time is wasted arguing over normative opinions.
Know what the hell you are talking from the get go before debating somebody. If you don’t do any of that you are not making any kind of rational argument and are therefore not interested in engaging in serious discourse on complex social or economic issues. If you cannot be bothered to provide at least one source of data supporting your position, why participate in the debate at all? Nobody with more than one synapse firing in their brain is going to take you or your so called "credentials" seriously.
Sincerely,
Concerned Philosopher
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2013-09-05/libertarians-are-the-new-communists