To put on my mod hat for a second: political discussions are best when we approach them with the understanding that politics is a subject on which reasonable people can disagree. However, when every argument is also an ad hominem attack, these debates get very silly very quickly, and I for one would like to avoid that in this thread. Let's make an effort to clash with people's ideas without insulting them or impugning their character. This isn't directed at any particular poster, it's just a blanket warning to everyone that the objective here isn't scoring points, it's positive dialogue between people with different (and yes, sometimes clashing) ideas.
That wound up sounding preachier than I meant it to, but I suspect everyone gets the idea.
Carry on.
