I'm pretty sure that no pilot will decide in a merge that he'll get slow to explore his superior high AoA regime. Because that is a bad choice. Rate kills, and that means staying in close proximity to corner speed. In BFM the guy with higher energy state in neutral positions will -always- have the advantage, no matter what. Sustained use of +25 or so units AoA will decrease the speed of the aircraft FAST, and that means loss of vertical maneouvring and loss of rate. And loss of options.
oh, and not exactly my poem..:)