[ryan_mcgreal]

The Spectator makes a point of publishing provocative op-eds in the hopes that they will generate commentary on the letters page. To the extent that this gets people a) thinking rigorously about the issue and b) engaged enough to write a letter, it's arguably a net positive for the level of public debate.

Look at the front page article a couple of weeks ago quoting Councillor Ferguson's opposition to running rapid transit on dedicated lanes. It probably did more to galvanize public support for light rail than a positive lead-off would have done.