You're using them to give your argument authority and credence, and that's an incredibly disrespectful thing to do to people you know and care about. It's a flavor of this: http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Friend_argument
You can read my other comments in this thread for why I think even if tourism & the climbing industry is good for Nepal right now, there are still ethical dilemmas. I also encourage you to reread kaitai's last paragraph about how this debate absolutely should not stop at an individual's choice. There's a lot that can be done, like shoring up other economies within Nepal so our citizens don't have to work in incredibly dangerous fields.
Finally, I hope you've talked to your friends about the situation for average Nepali. Villages are in positions where one bad hailstorm can cripple the village for a year, and force all the men to leave for the city or the Middle East to find work. Most villages don't receive the immediate benefits of tourism. Many are very remote, which adds a huge set of challenges - disaster response, medical aid, communication, etc. The Maoist insurgency was obviously a huge deal, as is what's going on in Madesh and Terai right now, but a lot of the other political shifts aren't felt as much, and frankly, the Nepalese government doesn't have the resources to do much. The help of NGOs and charities is vital to many villages.
>> You're using them to give your argument authority and credence
Yes, it gives my argument that we can have a fruitful conversation over email, more authority and credence.
You're being offensive accusing me of using the "Friend argument".
To insist that I've used that line for my comments I made prior to my invitation for an email conversation, ignoring the context, mindlessly linking to rationalwiki, to insinuate I'm disrespectful to my partner, and a close friend I've talked to every day for half a decade, is beyond insulting. You're using rationalwiki as a tool to label people you disagree with, to win arguments without thinking, to use as a weapon. Utter stupidity.
>> Finally, I hope you've talked to your friends about the situation for average Nepali. Villages are in positions where one bad hailstorm can cripple the village for a year, and force all the men to leave for the city or the Middle East to find work. Most villages don't receive the immediate benefits of tourism. Many are very remote, which adds a huge set of challenges - disaster response, medical aid, communication, etc.
Yes, I have.
>> There's a lot that can be done, like shoring up other economies within Nepal so our citizens don't have to work in incredibly dangerous fields.
>> The help of NGOs and charities is vital to many villages.
Laissez faire has historically proven to be the only means that can shore up economies. NGO's and charities will only weaken it, because you're buying up resources in the country, reducing access to it by businesses.
Please never use this argument again. It's beyond insulting.