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So if you have an argument to make, you need to decide whether you care about that more than just being right—your "ego", if you like—and if you do, try to empathize with every corner of your audience to persuade them.
Blocking and banning are pretty blunt tools for dealing with issues like this, but I can see the appeal to moderators: if they perceive negativity, they get a switch to turn it off and increase net positivity in the forum. But it also has the potential to exacerbate the problem.
If someone feels they've been maligned, and is willing to make a cause of it, hitting the "ban" button has the potential not only to improve positive vibes in one forum, but to create negative vibes elsewhere. Moderators need to understand that this is a reality of what happens.
So what do I propose? Talk to each other. Talk individually; privately. Take egos and politics out of the equation. Try to empathize, to understand each other. If you don't, then talk some more. If you end up arguing, take some time out, then talk again. Don't close the dialog.
Don't expect anyone to say, "you were right all along, I'll reevaluate my worldview". But the more you talk, the more you'll see that the other person has a viewpoint, and the more you'll be able to show them that you do too. And if you do care about yours, you should want that.
I think it's more the case that's there are few other tools you can use. Especially for repeat offenders. At some point you need to ban. My early mod days were far too lenient and I regret that now. (I was not a mod in your example)
I'd like the "tool" to be dialog for much longer, though... banning someone is disproportionately easy to do, and involves no empathy. Talking to someone, hearing their side, and letting them hear yours is *much* more likely to have a net positive outcome.
It is quite blunt. From the thread you quoted (my only knowledge of the issue) it seems quite disproportionate. I have seen in the past how people with unpopular views got shunned (in real life) and even if they were later proven right by the facts it did not matter.
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