On Sat, 19 Feb 2005, Michael Dawson wrote:
> Which two people
> have ever exchanged differing opinions on any topic without paying attention
> to the opponent's motives? Everybody who's spent 5 serious minutes on logic
> knows that. Why don't you?
Call me a well indoctrinated child of the Enlightenment, but the motives of someone who is providing information or a specific argument are completely irrelevant to a critical and rational assessment of the person's assertions. If you say "Social security funds will be completely exhausted by 2042", speculating about your motives is a waste of time. Whether you really believe this and are trying to spread the truth or you are disseminating lies to further your political agenda, the question remains: Is this in fact a valid statement?
Knowing your motives doesn't answer that question; only careful and rational consideration of the available evidence can do that.
Miles