My position is that LS is getting carried away and should rein it in just a tad. There have been FReepers past in a similar situation who have all taken an embarrassing fall after getting too big of a head. I’d hate to see that happen again.
Have you experience with professionals, either in law, finance, business and/or academia, who consciously make bold, unsubstantiated claims which have potential to harm their reputation?
On the contrary, from my experience, seasoned professionals & executives learn early how to express themselves in the most non-committal way. For example, if you look at my posting history, you may notice I tend to use words like: appear, suggest, may, could, perhaps, etc.
It simply defies credulity that someone who posts under his actual real name would willing self-immolate in some kind of ritualistic public spectacle. What would it gain him? Ridicule?
I advise people to generally ignore the what, but to always ask: why?