[Perndog]

Okay, I see where you're coming from.

I rather like the term "intellectual masturbation." I use it to describe politics all the time.

So you've already got my rant. Whether you count me among the smart people or not, that's about all I have to say on the topic. My only addition in light of your revised question is that I strongly doubt the existence of some amazing, irrefutable, and unifying truth, which is why I don't spend even *more* of my time pounding the mental pork.