There is no way to have a meaningful debate, much less a quality one, in a completely public forum. Half the time, participants don't even agree on the definiti

There is no way to have a meaningful debate, much less a quality one, in a completely public forum. Half the time, participants don't even agree on the definition of words. Think "privilege" and "rights" for easy examples. Then quality goes out the window when anybody from the mob can jump into your thread at any point, quibbling with words, accusing you of being Hitler, etc. To have meaningful debate, you also need people who are seeking truth and are open to having their minds changed. Twitter (or modern politics in general) does not incentivize changing your mind, since anyone can screenshot some old Tweet, and now you're a flip-flopper. As if you're expected to emerge onto social media with a fully-formed worldview. But it's not like politics has ever been a thoughtful, measured process. There are no good ol' days. The ballot box is a proxy for the musket and bayonet. When you vote, you are literally making an attempt to force the other half of society to do what you want. Life, liberty, and property are on the line, so politics will never be anything but conflict.