Ben –
I disagree with your premises.
1) Yiftach b’doro kiShmuel b’doro. If I cannot trust my own logic then I cannot trust someone else’s. It’s one thing if I don’t know the sugya, but if I do, then if I don’t hear a good argument against me I will not believe I am wrong, no matter who is talking.
2) True it’s not on person giving a list, but the Gemamra is mesudar. A bunch of related statements cited together, pashtus are related.
To your second points:
1) Some things are pashut that they cause hirhur. There’s no need to bring an asmachta that the makom hatoref is like the makom hatoref.
2) Yerech is not the same as shok, the opinion of the MB notwithstanding. There are numerous proofs to this and the MBs opinion is very shver.
I apologize for not being able to respond that often or get more in to detail; I am very busy lately.