It's not pointless; it's a good discussion and allows you to see the other side of the issue. You a do a disservice to yourself to dismiss the possibility that all you have been told may not be the whole truth.

You have your opinion and valid arguments, as do others. Debate is a good thing, dismissal is not.

You can only expand your horizons by listening to what others have to say without taking a defensive stance. If the US government did a bit of the same there would be a lot less anti-American sentiment around the world.