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Deplorables
#52887 11/16/19 03:44 PM
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deniro Offline OP
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It's too bad that people feel it necessary to demonize those they disagree with. On this forum, this has meant calling them "loser", "scum", and in one thread wishing that they would commit suicide. It's possible to live with and even befriend those you disagree with. But that takes maturity.

I'm not going to try to persuade anyone because rational persuasion is almost impossible, esp. on the internet, esp. with certain kinds of people who are incapable of being persuaded. I will say that I've been reading the 1000 page biography of Hitler by Ian Kershaw and that Hitler employed that very tactic of exaggeration, demonization, and insults to advance his propaganda. He was above all a master of propaganda. It was probably his one natural talent.

The second thing I want to do is show you this link to a British documentary called "Deplorables" which address the demonization of one's opponent and the misuse and abuse of terms such as "populism".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afMofYie4Lc

My third piece of advice: Grow up. If you really want to help your fellow man, that's the best place to start.

Re: Deplorables
deniro #52888 11/16/19 07:08 PM
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FWIW I agree that demonizing or naming is counterproductive and contributes to strife not resolution. My question is how do we get back to the days of "My friend on the other side of the aisle" when "compromise" was not a four letter description for a human body function and that can't happen unless and until we quit demonizing the opposition.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Deplorables
deniro #52889 11/16/19 08:01 PM
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Originally Posted By: deniro
It's too bad that people feel it necessary to demonize those they disagree with.

I hope you sent that message to America’s number one demonizer, Donald Trump, who even had the gall to cast aspersions on a witness while she was testifying before a congressional committee.

Originally Posted By: deniro
....Hitler employed that very tactic of exaggeration, demonization, and insults to advance his propaganda. He was above all a master of propaganda. It was probably his one natural talent.

Add lying to the three tactics ascribed to Hitler for advancing his agenda and, once again, you have Donald Trump.


ryck

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Re: Deplorables
joemikeb #52890 11/16/19 08:01 PM
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deniro Offline OP
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"Demonizing" and "naming" are two different words and ideas. They are neither identical nor interchangeable.

I don't know what days you are talking about. Politics has always been vicious, always a manipulator of language. I know why some politicians say such things. I'm less clear on why so many other people have to go along it. I have some ideas about why, but the reasons aren't v. satisfying or encouraging. Something about how few people there are who can actually think for themselves. I know that conformity is a survival instinct, but it's wise to avoid conforming to politicians excessively and seeing politics as a football game in which one simply chooses one side for life.

Doing no harm is a good first step. I try to avoid inflammatory words in speech and writing. This means avoiding most of the press, newspapers, TV, Twitter, Facebook, and much that is considered popular. I don't have a cell phone. I don't text. I don't email much. My preferred form of contact is face to face. To me, everything else is inferior, though I'm willing to make an exception if the carrier pigeon ever comes back.

Does anonymity encourage despicable behavior? Even psychosis? Maybe. Think of how widespread anonymity is today. It's not all good.




Re: Deplorables
deniro #52891 11/16/19 08:06 PM
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I've read enough about Hitler to conclude there are no politicians today who merit comparison. That's foolish talk. He was an unusual guy in many ways, conventional in others, but not nearly as larger than life as he thought.

I recommend Kershaw's book and a much shorter one by John Lukacs, The Hitler of History, which analyzes biographies of Hitler. So many people invoke that name, but few know much about him. Let's not give him the last laugh by reviving his name where it has no place.

Re: Deplorables
deniro #52892 11/16/19 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
My question is how do we get back to the days of "My friend on the other side of the aisle" when "compromise" was not a four letter description for a human body function…

Originally Posted By: deniro
I don't know what days you are talking about.

Maybe he means the kind of bipartisanship that existed in America since 1787 but now seems to have gone by the boards.


ryck

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Re: Deplorables
deniro #52893 11/16/19 11:14 PM
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I am referring to the days when my professor and I like to think friend, John Tower, was the first Republican elected to a national office from the state of Texas since reconstruction. Yes politics were rancorous, the member of the Democratic National Committee John shared an office at Midwestern State University with for years never spoke to him again after the election. But on the floor of the Senate John invariably referred to those on the other side of the aisle as, "my colleague", "my honored opponent", "the gentleman from Massachusetts", or similar. To my personal knowledge their wives played bridge together, their children were in the same schools, and they frequently mixed socially. Certainly they never shouted out "You lie!" during a presidential speech or publicly referred to members of the other party using four letter curse words.

There were highly respected Senators and Representatives of both parties who earned their political chops by crafting compromises to make bills acceptable or at least tolerable for most members of congress. Of course most of those deals compromises were crafted in haze of cigar smoke, over tumblers of bourbon, often in the dead of night, and almost invariably out of the glare of publicity. In fact the parties presidential nominees were in the end chosen is similar smoke filled rooms, and I am not convinced we are better served by today's primary system.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Deplorables
deniro #52898 11/17/19 05:45 PM
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To lump all of the demonization and name calling as relating to disagreements is very disingenuous. For example, 'tax cuts are bad' or 'tax cuts are good' is a disagreement.

When Trump says 'I did not say that' when in fact you have him on tape saying it, that is a lie and people who spread lies deserve to be called out in no uncertain terms.

Re: Deplorables
Douglas #52918 11/18/19 09:54 PM
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deniro Offline OP
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You missed the point.


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