That article claiming James is right interviews the same authors who he cited to begin with. They are probably thrilled to have more visibility for their research. Scientific literacy requires more than just citing one random paper. The entire body of work is more important to consider. Papers should be provided with an explanation of why they support your claims rather than just a random link “proving” your opinion. The burden is on the writer to explain why the research supports their claim, not the reader to muck through the entire paper to find the one relevant figure.
James wrote a long document on a topic he knew was controversial. The burden is on him to communicate in such a way that his message is received the way he wants it to be. This is ALWAYS true, regardless of the message you are communicating. When arguing controversial topics it is best to meet your audience in the middle and then slowly drag them over to your side. James is currently facing the repercussions of failing as a communicator.
