The value of this forum to me is in providing information, mainly via people's personal experiences, but also via people's personal opinions. I'm sorry to have to break it to you, David, but it is not a forum for serious intellectual debate.
For example, if someone says that they have encountered x number of people over x number of years from a particular country and they extrapolate from this that they don't think the whole nation or group of people are trustworthy, that is just an opinion. Plus if that person doesn't trust surveys or statistics, just their own anecdotal experience, it remains just an opinion. What is does not constitute is an intellectual argument, by any stretch of the imagination. For that you need evidence to back up your argument, some intellectual rigour, rather than 'I just know'.
There is a reason the Mods are careful about politics and religion on this forum. Opinions and beliefs tend to fly about as if they are facts. No, they are only opinions and beliefs.
Is it really true that we are all falling over ourselves in adulation over Crystal's blog? Are all of us, with all our wealth of experience, being scammed by a pretty Chinese lady? Oh no! All of us have failed to learn the lessons of this forum. We are all going to go back to Chnlove and get scammed by a translator! Damn. Do you see how dangerous it is to generalise, rather than just give your opinion? Or maybe you genuinely believe that we have all been taken in. If you do, perhaps there is another forum for you, one which provides the unique brand of intellectual content you are looking for.
