In semi-infinite wisdom Louis Scheffer answered:

Rich <someone@somewhere.com> writes:

There's lots and lots of speculation, some small amount of it actually
based upon observation, but there are, as yet, no answers at all, much less definitive answers. And curiously, I don't see many stating the
simple, honest truth, that we simply do not know.

All reputable researchers will agree with this part of your statement.

It's odd then that I keep reading about the thousands or millions of
intelligent civilizations in the galaxy.

    http://publish.seti.org/general/articles.php?id=40

    Our Galaxy Should Be Teeming With Civilizations, But Where
    Are They?

Why "should" our galaxy be teeming with life"

    http://kosmoi.com/Science/Astronomy/SETI/

    SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is an attempt
    to detect technological civilizations elsewhere in the
    universe, particularly in our galaxy. Billions of places
    outside our solar system may host life, that we could
    discover, if it has developed to a technological level
    at least as advanced as our own.

Billions of places.

What I see being said is that we don't know how many ET civilizations
there are, that they exist is always a given.

And there is no reason to think that better observations will change this.

This only makes sense if you are *certain* the observations will
fail.

How so?

What reason do you have to think that better observations will detect
ET?

A successful observation would certainly give
us answers, if not definitive answers.

And you expect a "successful observation" because?

And how can you be certain observations will fail when you start your argument with "we simply do
not know?"

I've stated my opinion that the 'problem' is not one to be resolved by
better observations. I also stated the fact that WRT whether ET exists
or not, we do not have one single clue, we have no information
whatsoever. Idon't understand what conflict you see.

So on one hand you are arguing "Neither I nor anyone else knows anything
about this topic".

Tell me all you know then. Name every ET civilization detected so far.
Baseless speculation is not knowledge BTW, and that's pretty much all
SETI's got.

Then you argue "Better observations are futile".

Why do you have quote marks around these words? Did I say these words?

Either statement alone can be supported, but together they make no sense.

Both together make perfect sense.

If you disagree tell me why. There is however no contradiction.

    Lou Scheffer

Rich