What I'm most interested in--and this will come out in my talk Im giving 7 minutes from now--is how mutually contradictory and warring perspecties can exist. We call this "un diálogo de sordos" in Spanish. That is, how two groups of people can look at the same thing and come to radically distinct conclusions. I'm interested in the reasons people give, the style of argument deployed, on either side. The ideological presuppositions.

People on both sides of the debate can be well-meaning, intelligent, and talented. I'm more interested in seeing how the conflict arises than in winning the debate against the other side. Though I don't mind scoring a few points once in a while.