On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:40:31 -0700, wrote:


I doubt that! You're the guy who at least sometimes wants to talk with
them, where I prefer to talk at them.

That is indeed a key difference, exactly why you will never succeed in
influencing any opinions. Being obnoxious and venomous is not
persuasive or amusing. It's merely a troll for attention.

That doesn't mean I can't be friendly with them, but once I know that they
have an ideological bent, I pretty much give up on trying to have a real
conversation about society, politics, or, especially, the economy. Some of
them are receptive to contrary facts, but not to their implications, if the
implication is contrary to their general posture. Even if they accept a
contrary fact, it quickly becomes subsumed in their general search for
things that only reinforce their views.

Hey, that's almost exactly what I was going to say!

Not bloody likely. Ed's statement is an observation and comment with
no insults, namecalling, ad hominem attacks or vituperative rhetoric.
And besides, "almost exactly" is an oxymoron. G