Would it not be true that "the formalism of dissipative systems" applies to only
a subset of dissipative systems?  It might be expecting too much to try to get
it to explain the full set of dissipative systems....  I need, though, to fully
understand what is meant by "the formalism of dissipative systems".
Jeff Prideaux
P.S.   And I agree that predictable (or pattern producing) paradoxes are a part
of science (by definition).