Posted on 07/01/2011 10:38:22 AM PDT by RobRoy
As I’ve watched the social culture and economy of my country (and civilization in general) go down around me, I’ve felt a terrible despair in my lack of ability to do anything tangible to stop it. Frankly, I went into a little of a “hunker down and try to survive the storm” mentality that all was lost and there was nothing to do but hope you are part of the Phoenix that rose from the ashes. The problem was that to rise from the ashes, there must be ashes. And “going McVeigh” beforehand is clearly not the answer.
The challenge is that the MSM, though losing power by the week, is still a formidable enemy. They are effective at convincing people that Palin is wrong in a statement even when she is right, or get people to ignore the ludicrous statements and actions of our current president, when a simple analysis exposes him and his words for what they are. The spin is so insulting sometimes that I am ashamed that so many of my countrymen fall for it.
But what can a person do, really? How can we win a battle for the hearts and minds of a populace that has only a passing interest in the details of what is going on? And it matters because they vote! This hit me hard when I heard a conservative friend actually complaining about Palin getting her facts wrong about Paul Revere. Sure, I was able to set her straight and show her that historians agree that, though she could have stated it better, she basically got it right. But that was one person. It is more than just disturbing.
Then it hit me one day when sparring with a few clearly ignorant liberals in the comments section of a video on those very comments by Palin. Most of their comments could be paraphrased, “boy is she stupid”. And there were a LOT of them. I was able to, one by one, take most of them out by calling their ad-hominem attacks what they were and using facts and logic in a relatively polite but firm way to show them that they were not going to get away with name calling. But I was strongly outnumbered. I felt like I was wasting my time.
But was I? Do others not see this? Sure, a single comment is as valuable as a single vote, but don’t people still vote, even knowing that? Of course they do. And this should be treated similarly. What am I saying? I am saying that, as a patriot, each and every one of us should FLOOD the neutral* political sites with well reasoned and respectful posts supporting conservatives like Palin, Bachman, Perry, the TEA Party movement, or any other conservative institution that is unjustly being shouted down, all the time calling out the other side for their childish and impotent one liners. We DO have the facts on our side and we WILL win, if we attack, and stay on the attack, in numbers. In fact, I could give this same advice to both sides and we would easily win the public debate hands down, for the reasons I just mentioned. For starters, as members of the other side actually studied the details and facts on their own, no small number would defect to our side.
So here is what I mean in a nutshell. First, it is your patriotic duty. Just as our forefathers went to their town hall meetings to stay involved in, and directly influence, their government and culture, our new town hall is the thousands of news sites, YouTube videos and blogs that allow public comments. It is our duty to hit them and hit them hard as if it was for the very preservation of our way of life – because it is!
And hand in hand with this are the rules of conduct. If these rules and similar concepts are not obeyed, you will do more harm than good:
1. Always be respectful. More precisely, don’t be disrespectful. Never call people names. If this were a real battlefield, name calling is the equivalent of accidentally discharging your rifle into your own foot. We want you standing. Stick with the facts.
2. Know the facts. Don’t’ go off half cocked on information you are only “pretty sure of”. If this was a battlefield, basing your point on an incorrect fact is the equivalent of getting a gut shot from a pill box. You may survive, but you’ll be off the battlefield – or at least very ineffective – for a while.
3. Don’t let them call you or anyone else names. When you hear ad-hominem, call them on it. When you hear ANY logical fallacy, call them on it immediately. Tell them which one they are using and instruct them to stay on topic. And don’t give up. If they keep at it, keep calling them on it. Here is a good rundown of them - http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html
4. Ask honest questions. It shows sincerity and makes them feel they are actually being listened to. You can not only turn lurkers around with this tactic, but sometimes the person you are sparring with as well. You also more accurately address their points with your own.
5. Don’t let your anger show. If you just “lose it” and go off on people, you have just stepped onto a land mine. You are pretty much finished on that site/thread. Sure, the liberals step on all sorts of land mines and continue on as the walking dead. That is good, because, via their rants, logical fallacies and poor logic they have become our agents (to the lurkers) and don’t even know it. We don’t want to fall into that trap.
6. This is war. You fight when the battle comes to you, and sometimes you bring the battle to them. Don’t walk off the battlefield to watch your favorite program or check out Farmville. Be relentless.
7. Admit when you are wrong! The power of admitting you were wrong cannot be overstated. Sometimes being wrong and, after heavy debate, admitting to the other side that you were wrong can score more points than being right. Don’t misunderstand: Some on the other side will not take it gracefully. And that will be just another mark against them. It will become more and more clear that the debate is adults vs children.
8. With some debaters, you need to move on. Sometimes you really are arguing with children. It becomes clear that they are wasting your time. But you still need to call them on it when they call people names, etc.
9. Use the “broken record”. When someone does not respond to what you said, but attempts to slam their inference from what you said, cut and paste it and throw it back with, “that’s not what I said.” I’ve done that with someone five or six times before they finally got it. Some never do. That’s fine. The lurkers will.
10. Pray. This should be number 1, really. I include it here because I want to end with it. It colors all of the previous nine.
I don’t follow the rules 100%. Nobody’s perfect. I’ve been wounded on the battlefield from incoming attacks as well as shooting myself in the foot. But if one keeps to these rules, they will make a difference. It may be small, but so is your vote – and both matter. And the difference is that we DO have logic and facts on our side. With everything else being equal, we won’t merely win. We will CRUSH the opposition.
And did I mention this is a WAR. I honestly believe we can do it with words now, or some will be forced to try to do it with guns later – those that are left. Lets take the lead from our founding fathers and give up our “comfort” for the sake of the constitution of the United States of America – while it is still there to defend. We CAN win this.
*Neutral – You don’t get banned or suspended for merely presenting a conservative viewpoint.
“what then?”
I completely agree with your statement and concept: Liberals are the most violent mindset. It is how Communism killed millions of people and how Hitler came to be.
Arm up: They are.
You know I think we all have had the same experiences on Youtube and other such sites. Your rules are very appropriate and a good reminder of what we all should be doing.
I think what we tend to forget is this. That we are vastly the majority. But we are silent for the most part. The few whining liberals (being generous) is about 10-15% (Okay very generous) - BUT They make noise and are well organized.
If we get organized our respectful and sound voices can drown them out very effectively. The less we say, the more empowered and bolder they become.
Thanks for the reminder.
>>Liberals do not run on logic. They run on emotion.<<
Exactly. It exposes them, but only if we do “it”.
Some have asked for links. I was just inspired by this thread on FR: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2743149/posts
Go to youtube and search “it gets better”. that will keep you busy for months!
Great post
That's the first priority- starting with the most basic, insidious and pervasive, our schools.
Here is a listing of companies pushing the gay agenda- http://www.hrc.org/documents/HRC-CEI-2011-Final.pdf
And when that psychosis turns murderous - as history clearly shows that it will - what then?
Then its time to party like its 1789...or 1859!
One of the most important institutions flies below the radar in most cases, and on every level. Liberal activist judges.
I like Glenn Beck!
>>Sorry to appear obtuse, but exactly how does that work when dealing with the malignantly narcissistic, hate-filled irrationalism that animates so many of our enemies?<<
Most of them only sound that way on the internet. When you push back with facts and articulate arguments, many of them back off, diminishing their number online, some actually change their minds, and still others remain completely unchanged, but look like utter fools to lurkers and fence post sitters.
IOW, serious progress is made.
Sorry for the late response. I drove to my new home and job in Kentucky and am just getting back up to cyber speed. I’m using my Android as a wi-fi hotspot as it is the only internet connectivity I now have. But I’m ready for the coming meltdown of western civilization now. Bring it on. ;-)
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