Kabar states his views intelligently and usually without rancour and it's possible to reflect on his opinions and not be drawn into changing one's position.
The beauty of this thread is that every viewpoint is subject to a countervailing one and that's the way it should be.
I think Kabar's opinions are informed and well presented. I may not agree with him, but others may, and not because they have been seduced by his eloquence.
I don't think his eloquence is a danger to posters on FR. Just as I don't think the powerfully written posts opposing Kabar's views are a danger.
What would be a danger to the open exchange of ideas on FR would be to think we were too weak-minded to analyze Kabar's remarks and those of his opponents and arrive at our own conclusions.
I appreciated your zinger after Kabar mentioned his academic achievements, which was petty of me, because on reflection, I think he was responding to another poster's suggestion that he, Kabar, was ignorant of a basic political reality, and not to flaunt his education.
But I don't like shaking academic or professional credentials at posters with whom you disagree. It's not sensible if you are supposed to be defending your opinions with hard facts.
Maybe that was the problem in the exchanges with Kabar; there are no really hard facts to point to to justify either diplomacy or military action in dealing with Iran at this time. There are only opinions as to which course is wiser, which doesn't make Kabar an appeaser. Some of his arguments for diplomacy are quite sound, as are the opposite arguments. But the proofs of the arguments are unobtainable now, so we are left with our opinions, which if we don't respect the opinions, we still respect the posters who hold them.
When I first came on FR a poster suggested that we all list our degrees, etc.; the poster gave as his motive that we could all "prove" how much better educated members of FR are compared to members of a Lefty site.
I thought that this was a terrible idea and argued against it; it didn't go anywhere, but if people had started doing that I was prepared to give up FR. FR members can and do present their opinions and viewpoints clearly and are usually pretty rigorous in arriving at them.
If there were some hierarchy of credentials it would make for snark and intimidating bad spellers (me) and syntax busters (again, me) or people who, from personal experiences were insecure, and easily discouraged from participating.
Dull, dull, dull and depressingly predictable with the PhDs beating up on the high-school drop-outs who served in the military, started earthmoving companies or rod-making businesses and spend their discretionary income on first editions of ancient historical manuscripts. Hey, I can dream can't I?
You continue to amaze me with your wonderfully thoughtful posts.
Thanks for this one...
I must admit for the record...that I would be in the back of the room, were degrees and titles to be put in front.
I had one year of college...then babies.
I have worked in various jobs...won't bore anyone with what they were.
I am now a stay at home grandmother, who babysits so my children can work without having to put my grandchildren in day care.
Those are my "credentials"....such that they are...LOL