Are there certain recurrent topics that could use an "EN state of the art summary" to kick them off.
So, for example - if it were Pizza - maybe we would have something summarizing past debates on Pineapple and Fish on Pizza, links to the few key sites / past posts, and a quick summary of what the mod rulings were?
And maybe something to put in the thread title of those (a file folder? a fire? a "Read First" sign?) that notified people that they should probably read the background before jumping in.
If nothing else, it would spare the Snarf analog from having to re-explain the basics of the arguments and the harm done to him by having to repeat the labor ad nauseum of laying the case out?