I have gotten to the point in my life where I don't enjoy having these debates with people anymore. If the point isn't to share information, or really discuss theories, but instead to engage in a "winning the debate" technique I lose interest in the topic pretty damn quickly. I find, honestly, it is a mainly male thing, and it is a form of communication that I just don't get.

Maybe it is because I am a lawyer and engage in this tomfoolery about cases, but I wonder what it is about our type of people (and I say this with all the love in my heart about many of our overlapping friends) that enjoy this kind of discourse.

Really, I would rather spend an hour with you discussing your perspective on the chinese language (which I know nothing about) or an hour with your lovely wife, asking her about censorship in children's books and libraries (which I know some about) than have a debate about foreign policy with people who I like, but am never going to learn from. Isn't the point, at this point, to learn from people rather than pulling my penis out and going "see, mine is still larger?"

Sorry for ranting in your journal...you opened the door and I stepped on through...