Debate Wins Can Legitimize Bad Wars

Public performance in high‑visibility forums can cement support for policies that are substantively flawed; televised command of facts and composure (as Bundy displayed) often outweighs expert caution in shaping public consent, allowing governments to pursue costly interventions. That dynamic undercuts democratic accountability when rhetorical skill substitutes for policy justification. — Highlights how mediaized argumentation can cause democracies to lock into strategic mistakes, suggesting why modern policymakers and journalists should distinguish rhetorical victory from empirical merit.