I don't mind the closing of threads... however - if a thread has gotten to the point it needs closing; it doesn't need a "final word" from the moderator.

A simple post, from the mod (so that people know who did it) saying "Thread closed" is all that's necessary.

A moderator should not, IMHO, add their own personally biased $0.02, and then close the thread disallowing anyone else from countering them or continuing the debate.

Obviously if the thread is close-worthy, there's nothing worthwhile left to say and it has derailed into a mindless mess of insulting nonsense, and therefore does not require anybody's $0.02. Simply close it, post that you're closing it, and leave it at that.

If a closing statement is more than one sentence long... you're doing it wrong IMHO.