HOW TO ARGUE

Jane Galt of Asymmetrical Information has a rather long response to people who send her hate mail. Well worth the read. It always strikes me how few people can muster a decent argument, resorting instead to ad hominem attacks, ranting and raving, vulgar comments, and other such idiocy. I’m never sure what it is they expect to accomplish with those tactics. I don’t expect that anything I write here or post as comments on other blogs will change die-hard liberals into Bush loving, Saddam hating conservatives in one bold stroke–although there is always hope. But I hope people at least reflect on the rationale behind their own positions a bit. Personal attacks, name-calling, and other similar techniques simply cause people to be defensive and refuse to listen.

FILED UNDER: Blogosphere,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.