Quite an article FranticInFresno ! Thanks for writing down your thoughts.
Two comments below, on what I think are the two main issues in your article.

Rob

"FranticInFresno" <MostWanted@NOSPAM_Hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1dWkd.20509$6q2.16510@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...

SETI and the Grail

[....]

Given the assumption that an extraterrestrial
intelligence (ET) is searching for our signal, they have not yet detected it
and would be unable to respond to it for at least 100 years from today.

True, but you are assuming that ET will always wait sending a signal until they have detected ours.
Current SETI projects are more focused on receiving an ET beacon signal, like finding a light house flash.
A light house also does not wait transmitting a signal until it can see a boat.

This does not address the possibility that an ET may be inadvertently
broadcasting their own radio and/or TV signals or actively broadcasting a
signal for ET pickup by our own SETI receivers.

Exactly. That is a second scenario for SETI. Currently however, we are not capable
of proving/disproving an earth-like civilisation around Alpha Centauri, based on
radio/TV/radar broadcast signals alone. We need much bigger antenna's for that,
and a thorough sustained detection program over a wide spectrum.

Whatever the case may be the Drake Equation does not take into account new science.
There are methods of communication which use faster that light methods.

FTL communication is only a theory. It's science fiction until we find evidence.

Consider this :
If FTL communication is possible, ETs could very well have EM (radio/optical)
beacons for civilizations which did not discover that, transmitting a message
about how to build an FTL communication device to join the subspace galactic internet....