the actual result of typing up an effort post rationally debunking point after point, with citations, is that 99% of people, including the person you're responding to, skimming it looking for a single line they can grab on to and twist it back around at you. sometimes it pays to do that but most of the time, my experience is that you convince more people if you can break the hold of liberal hegemony within their minds. and decidedly uncivil means are much more effective at doing that. many (most?) of the posters on hexbear were libs or even borderline fash who stumbled onto the old reddit sub, got thoroughly mocked for spouting bullshit, and stuck around to learn more because they couldn't shake the nagging feeling that they were missing something.

different rules obviously apply in offline spaces but it's that urge to bring rules from one space into another, very different arena that's at the heart of this issue.