Comment by grafmax
9 days ago
I’m no Trump supporter by any means but I think this kind of comment must alienate Trump supporters and contribute to polarization around the topic rather than reasoned exchange. If you really want to oppose Trump I think your purpose is better served with respectful speech. I realize the anger many people feel must make respectful speech a challenge. But I also think that the rise of polarization on social media is one of the reasons we have gotten to the place we are today.
Go watch five minutes of Fox News and then ask yourself if treating the other side civilly is going to help.
Reasoned speech only works with people who are acting in good faith, and they aren’t.
Hahaha. The right says the same thing about the left. Being obstinate just increases polarization. What you are seeing happen right now is precisely because of the position you are taking. People have been pleading for decades to cut government spending. Trying to do it "the right way" hasn't worked. So now we are to "fuck it" if they won't work with us just tear it down and ask for forgiveness later.
This is not a reason to think that impassioned speech will have the impact you want. It may still be counter-productive. At any rate, those who are acting in good faith will recognize the well-reasoned arguments as such and perhaps start to wonder about the reasoning for their beliefs.
> and they aren’t
This is an incredibly sweeping generalization. There are a lot of people who voted for Trump because of their perception of his merit/qualifications/plans vs Harris. Pretending they are all brainwashed simpletons not only alienates them but also sets up for future failures. There's a reason these people voted for him. What is that reason? Treating is as some temporary hysteria is just going to keep getting people like Trump (or worse) elected over and over.
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Strongly disagree. Respectful discourse requires reciprocity and from Trump himself down to his supporters, that's deliberately absent in MAGA. The whole project is about dominating and putting down other people - and has been since day one - and only appealing to comity as a defensive or deflection tactic. With such a long track record of bad faith, it's foolish to engage with other postures than suspicion.
Thank you for your reply. I understand wanting to approach these conversations with suspicion. But I also think that MAGA is a heterogeneous movement whose participants have a range of motivations. Respectful speech doesn’t mean ignoring bad actors but refusing to label everyone that way. Some conversations with Trump voters can still be constructive. Respectful speech allows those conversations to happen. Conversely disrespectful speech contributes to polarization, effectively helping domination ideology to spread. That is why I believe it is counterproductive.