The Logic Off Topic list

There is evidently some large Viking epic work that details how a small 
dispute in Iceland eventually engulfed all of North Europe. Despite many 
peace conferences and attempts to quell the violence, it kept continuing. 
Toward and end of a war, the losers feel that fighting on is better than 
the consequences of giving up, and the winning party is outraged that the 
losers won't capitulate and strike even harder. We spoke of the Japanese 
refusal to surrender despite increasingly dire odds, but look at the 
Germans - the Russians were almost at Hitlers Bunker before he committed 
suicide. And the allies decided to pummel the axis until it didn't matter 
whether they surrendered or now. There are many wars like this. The 
Vikings came to believe that hostility has a logic and life of its own.

And so it is with these arguments. No one seems to change their mind 
about anything. It seems no matter what your view of the world, its the 
rare individual who will actually change his/her mind about anything 
presented with facts to the contrary.

People make strong statements of "obvious" veracity which actually 
loosely based on fact, largely based on opinion, and insensitive - then 
later self-righteously claim innocence, and make apologies which are not 
apologies but further justifications, and succeed in only keeping the 
embers burning longer rather than letting the matter die out. But this 
whole cycle is pointless, isn't it?