I would encourage you to be respectful regardless. No one will hear you if you are treating them with contempt.
They won’t hear it anyway, studies show that debate is extremely unlikely to change anyone’s mind. The point of arguing with Republicans isn’t to “be heard” by the kind of people who would prefer to see me dead or worse, it is to demonstrate to them that their bullshit will not be quietly tolerated.
Personally I think that low taxes and small government are valid perspectives.
Personally, I think trying to pass off a couple of slogans as if they were a policy position is a typical form of Republican intellectual dishonesty and I love making them squirm by asking detailed questions about what they mean.
I think it’s important to treat them as human, listen to their concerns and respectfully point out their hypocrisy when it happens.
You’ve got that precisely backwards, as is typical of American liberals.
Republicans are not ashamed of their hypocrisy, they are empowered by it. To be taken seriously despite the disconnect between their words and deeds is a position of power that they believe they have the right to exercise over all their lessers.
In fact, this hypocritical immunity is a cornerstone of conservative politics. Wilhoit’s Law: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
They literally do not care so long as the hypocrisy benefits those “on their side” and harms those lower in the hierarchy they defend.
The way forward will involve listening, respect, and a bit of compromise.
And how, precisely, do you plan on forcing Republicans to compromise their principles in such a fashion? To paraphrase another common saying, “It is almost impossible to get a man to agree to something when his political identity depends on his refusal to do so.”
There is not much point in engaging in discussion with someone who thinks they have an entire group of people all figured out. It’s a LOT of people. Treat them as individuals. Be well.
They won’t hear it anyway, studies show that debate is extremely unlikely to change anyone’s mind. The point of arguing with Republicans isn’t to “be heard” by the kind of people who would prefer to see me dead or worse, it is to demonstrate to them that their bullshit will not be quietly tolerated.
Personally, I think trying to pass off a couple of slogans as if they were a policy position is a typical form of Republican intellectual dishonesty and I love making them squirm by asking detailed questions about what they mean.
You’ve got that precisely backwards, as is typical of American liberals.
Republicans are not ashamed of their hypocrisy, they are empowered by it. To be taken seriously despite the disconnect between their words and deeds is a position of power that they believe they have the right to exercise over all their lessers.
In fact, this hypocritical immunity is a cornerstone of conservative politics. Wilhoit’s Law: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
They literally do not care so long as the hypocrisy benefits those “on their side” and harms those lower in the hierarchy they defend.
And how, precisely, do you plan on forcing Republicans to compromise their principles in such a fashion? To paraphrase another common saying, “It is almost impossible to get a man to agree to something when his political identity depends on his refusal to do so.”
There is not much point in engaging in discussion with someone who thinks they have an entire group of people all figured out. It’s a LOT of people. Treat them as individuals. Be well.
A lot of people with a common trait, they identify with the Republican party.