Antidote to the Kool-Aid?

[begin_within]

Is there anywhere, a concise document which I can present to right-wingers that I know, which refutes their main beliefs and misconceptions - and it written to their level of comprehension?
Thanks

[lady lib]

1. Excellent question!

I've also been looking for the perfect educational tool for the wingnuts and would be very interested if someone thinks they've found it.

[MessiahRp]

2. That would require an open mind.

No matter the documentations of proof, the denials of the truth will always continue if the mind is closed to alternate opinion.

Rp

[zippy890]

3. exactly

There's no reasoning with the RW ideology.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. This is the ONLY thing I have found to be effective --

Talk to them.

Listen to them. Seriously. Just shut your mouth and listen. Listen closely and follow their logic, or lack of it. You will find that they will be doing the same thing.

Let them try to convince you. Don't argue back, but carefully and non-threateningly let them say their piece.

Draw them out. There is no need to "set a trap" for them to fall into -- the schizophrenia of their ideology provides traps enough.

Jut let them talk, let them make the case to you, an "impartial" listener.

The very act of hearing their own idiotic words usually snaps them out of it. And if it doesn't, nothing will.

I argue with people on DU, and people who are my co-partisans. I never argue with Conservatives. My aim is to destroy their delusional perceptual systems. Argument seldom accomplishes that goal -- but therapeutic listening often does.

--p!

[lady lib]

7. I'll give it a try.

Lord knows my yammering isn't changing any minds.

[Cats Against Frist]

5. I have an idea -- lots of DUers don't like it, but it works

The best way to frazzle a kool-aide drinker is to force them to appear more authoritarian, big-government and anti-freedom than you. What I've done is studied Thomas Jefferson and classical liberalism -- and critical theory. The antidote to kool-aide is not to try to convince them of any one of the many Marxist-inspired socialist/social democratic designs -- but to return to the Enlightenment philosophies that founded this nation, and is the mother of democracy -- non-interventionist god gives reason, and reasonable people can be relied upon to protect freedom, self-governance, etc.

The "bleeding heart," stuff just goes in one ear and out the other, because they're primate automatons, who've been stuffed full of talk radio -- so even trying to make a logical argument for left-wing authoritarianism won't work in your favor. You can usually make Joe Republican see himself for the fascist he is, by the end of the conversation. Then, I have a 21-point sheath of evidence for why the GOP is LYING when they say they're for small government, and they're no less into the social engineering that they claim plagues the left.

Whether or not you believe in libertarianism, or minarchy, or federalism, they're all gorgeous argument positions to take to combat Christo-fascists, corpo-fascists and neocon wannabes.

[Tux]

6. LOL

I done that and my uncle scared himself. He actually supported baning religious freedom, forcing people to Chrisitnaity and killing those that won't convert. He said that it'd fight terrorism and communism (conservative fetish?). I told him that the Soviet Union and many Middle East nations do that and he was shocked he supported them. Now he blames me for tearing our family apart. Thinking hurts.

[Dogmudgeon]

8. This is also a good tactic

However, it does backfire with many traditionalist and "Christian" conservatives -- though arguing from Reconstructionist/Rushdooneyite premises will give you cover there. And a conservative who is able to keep his/her rage in check will also be largely immune to it.

It does have the charm of working faster than my method does, if you can identify the particular ideological fixation fast enough and manage to not alienate the kool-ade drinker.

For a "one-shot" social encounter with a rabid Con, though, it's a strong choice.

--p!