Here's the reason why I think having discussions like this on italki is a bad idea. 

I have recently learned that some countries with people participating here have made it so that their populations are unable to access facebook, youtube and even skype in order to control what they get to be exposed to, yet they still allow those people access to italki to learn languages.

If the censors happen by this conversation before it gets erased I might no longer have access to people in otherwise isolated places and they might not be able to teach me their language and get to speak to someone with different ideas IN PRIVATE.  

These conversations put isolated peoples at risk of further isolation and has the potential to lose me future friends. I think what italki does erasing the conversations is smart from other points of view too, but personally, I think that choosing to protect the tiny bit of rights and openness that some people still have is probably the strongest argument for me to not participate, which I am no longer going to do. I just wish italki would erase these conversations faster as every minute they are up is a minute that my friends are at risk. 

For the record, I think conversation and debate in general is wonderful, interesting, exciting and good. For such conversations between people of open societies there are many other places to go to debate. However, for some people here, this is one of the last open places to meet anyone at all outside of their countries and I would like to help protect their access. 

" And have they not seen how Allah starts creation, thereafter He brings it back again. Surely that is easy for Allah. (19) Say, "Travel in earth, then look how He began creation. Thereafter Allah brings into being the last bringing up. Surely Allah is Ever-Determiner of Everything. (20)".. Surat Al-Ankabut, Holly Quran.

Oh, and just in case anyone is wondering I did NOT flag the discussion. As a matter of fact I never even realized that one could do that, and I never will do that. I don't think anyone means any harm with such discussions, they only mean to have something interesting to read and do. 

It's sad that we have the kind of world that we do. 

Thanks Kuu. This discussion is has his place here. And Peter is right; It has no end, because ideas have no end. Its great to read all opinions, to understand one another much better. For me, this is not arguing, but exchange. We don't have the same points of vue, and that's the world. We are different and we need to live together on this planet, so it's better to talk about different things. It remembers me a quote : great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people (or soccer ! sorry, it's a joke, hu !) Anyway, pick your side !

believe, believe and believe and blah blah blah. It's useless to discuss such a topic. It's a never-ending story and bring you only into la-la-land. One argument against another. One opinion, another opinion... it has no end. And it does not bring you to the truth.