Joseph Harris' Countering

On the other hand, forwarding can be used to counter the argument of another author. If I am to disagree with an author, it is important for me to recognize what they did correctly in order to gain confidence in the reader, but it is also important to show the author where they reasoned wrong and expand on that with evidence. Harris explains countering to "add to what can be said about a subject... to counter is not to nullify but to suggest a different way of thinking," that the original ideas by the author are both "interested" but "incomplete" (pg 56).
This is demonstrated in an article on the New York Times' opinion page where Thomas Friedman questions the actions that we should be taking in Syria. In analyzing the actions the the US has taken in the past, along with other nations he is able to conclude that short term intervention is the best solution. With statements from other experts, he is able to discuss (rather than argue) the justification of US interference. Countering is more than stating that one party is wrong and the other is correct, but is a process of sorting out what is truth and opinion in order for the reader to create the concrete statement of their stance on the issue. Forwarding is not a novel concept, but one that has not been focused on in such detail until now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/sunday/friedman-any-solution-to-syria.html?ref=opinion