As much as I instinctively feel a pretty strong sense of approval about the structure of high level competitive debate, I wonder if it's bordering on a certain

As much as I instinctively feel a pretty strong sense of approval about the structure of high level competitive debate, I wonder if it's bordering on a certain niche admiration for form which doesn't prepare one for what I assume debate is supposed to prepare one for, engaging with the whole spectrum of the public on issues of importance to both them and yourself. It reminds me of what happened to the cloistered world of esteemed traditional martial arts masters when MMA came along. This is part of the reason why Twitter ended up controlling so much of the world's publc discourse.