Is rational discussion/debate disappearing?

[Grunt]

I think rational debate is certainly in its death throes. I have had people demand I provide evidence/studies/whatever to back things up, and then outright refuse to read them when I have done so. "I don't need to read that!!!" So what do you do with that?

No worries, Brother! An unteachable person is like the proverbial thirsty horse that you lead to the water and won't drink because it wasn't it's idea to do so or because it didn't find the water on its own terms.

Some people simply don't want to see the light and choose to remain in the darkness.

 

[Frank S.]

I think rational debate is certainly in its death throes. I have had people demand I provide evidence/studies/whatever to back things up, and then outright refuse to read them when I have done so. "I don't need to read that!!!" So what do you do with that?

I don't doubt it's a concern, especially for online communities .
Arguments or postulates are like structures or fortresses in a way. They are assailed for what they rest on (sources), how they're designed (logical or mora stress fractures) or simply for who made them in the first place. It's both art and science to maintain a vibrant community when waves clash and cancel each other out, after which the smart ones leave and say "so long and thanks for all the fish".
In time, these structures end up trampled by tourists in flip flops, leaving gum wrappers and carving graffiti.

For some reason it tends to originate from the catch all of forum's, gen disc...

 

[Box]

It is my observation that people are increasingly less interested in having a debate and increasing MORE interested in being recognized for winning an argument. Even more disturbing is the degree of selective outrage that tends to fill these argumentative discussions.

It isn't enough to discuss what shade of blue we see in the sky. Some people will just jump on the opportunity to be contrarian about the subject...
"The sky isn't actually blue you know - light has no color - when it enters our atmosphere it reflects off of the different molecules in the air but since "your" side of the political spectrum doesn't care about facts, you can just keep saying the sky is blue"

...of course that's just my opinion; I could be wrong

 

[BloodStripe]

Public Lands: the looming catastrophe

Interestingly enough, I had just read this article the other day. The author is soon to be the former head of Blue Ribbon Coalition, which fights for land usage, predominantly for OHV use. He says between professionals it isn't dead, but then you get the nonprofessionals who come in and undo all the progess that has already been made.