I'm sure it is very exasperating to have newcomers come in and re-raise issues you thought had been sorted out and settled for good - but in the real world everything is continually being re-invented. All organisations try to initiate newcomers into their history and tradition and culture - and create a back catalogue of founding documents, key milestones, seminal works etc. - i.e. this is where we are coming from and how things are done around here.

However don't forget that newcomers here also have a past, and for all I know The3rdColumn is a world renowned expert on comparative state welfare dependency studies.  Maybe he too has reason to take certain things for granted and chooses to focus on other issues.  It's always very dangerous to personalise any argument for that very reason.

"It's a mystery to me - the game commences, For the usual fee - plus expenses, Confidential information - it's in my diary..."