<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GUWonder:
When a label is thrown out to stifle debate or to inhibit debate or discredit a party to the debate on false grounds by applying a label that the recipient and most truly neutral parties would reject, then that is a "flame".</font>
I can not argue with that position at all. It does, however, still leave some questions unanswered.
If the recipient does not reject it, but it meets all the other requirements, is it still a flame?
In the situation I cited re IJK, let us assume (and again, this is an assumption for argument's sake only) that IJK does not reject the Islamic Jihad label. Is it still a flame? After all, the poster is still trying to discredit him.
Let's assume that I call you a Communist but am not trying to stifle debate. In fact, I am trying to stimulate it by making you defend your position. I am lying about you, but is it still a flame?