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recursivedoubts

The idea is to set up rhetorical either-or's and then browbeat the majority into silence:

Either you support unlimited immigration or you are a racist.

Either you are 100% on board with the entire vaccine schedule or you are an anti-vaxxer.

Either you say that Covid was a natural occurrence or you are a conspiracy theorist (and probably a racist too).

And so on.

Say what one will, but it's effective.

I think one reason it works so well in the US is our puritan heritage, which has always had a strong manichean current in it. As the elites lost their religion, they retained this characteristic and it now manifests itself in the secular realm.

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Sometimes the either-or's are not just either-or's, they're catch 22's. Trans people are suffering from gender dysphoria and denying that is transphobic, but if you say trans people are suffering from gender dysphoria you're a transmedicalist truscum. Checkmate atheists!

> Say what one will, but it's effective.

Yes and no. Yes, it's effective at shutting people up. No, it's not very effective at convincing people that you're right. It's more effective at convincing people that you're completely unreasonable, and that it's better to just not talk to you at all.

"Yes, it's effective at shutting people up. No, it's not very effective at convincing people that you're right."

I see things differently, through the lens of power and influence. How much power does the opposition have if it's been effectively silenced? Members of the other side certainly aren't convinced of your cause, but what difference does it make? You've already gotten them to submit.

As time goes on the younger people will pretty much only hear from the intolerant folks because the people who were silenced can't propagate their worldview effectively.

Fair point - if it continues for long. I'm hoping that the pendulum swings back before we get to that point... but maybe I'm just a crazy optimist.

> Either you say that Covid was a natural occurrence or you are a conspiracy theorist (and probably a racist too).

Interesting how media coverage completely changed. Under the previous administration it was considered racist to even mention the theory and it's proponents were considered racists or conspiracy theorists. Why such a sudden change? China certainly didn't change its position on the issue...

> Why such a sudden change?

Trump is gone. Since he was the main proponent of the idea, and he was despised by half of the nation, they had to despise the idea too, even if it was quite fitting in the context of the anti-China rhetoric of the last few years. Now Trump is gone and the other half of the US is free to pick up his ideas.

You're onto something... Keep lurking!

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