Dunno, Lifeofthemind, it may be a charming sophistry, but still a sophistry. A battle of wits for its own sake, the bone of contention being just the point of agreement where to take off for dizzying [sarc] ripostes. I know, games people play and scoring points often is more important than the substance.

Color me a redneck, preferring much clearer, older material, when the substance and form were one, twobyfourish in attitude and expression: “Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet? Quem ad finem sese effrenata iactabit audacia?”

It is almost as a engineer would say it!