Conversation

Wanna know if a pro-choice argument is effective at persuasion? Simply apply the Anti-Abortion Translator: replace "abortion" with "shooting babies in the head". If your pro choice argument suddenly sounds idiotic with the translator applied, then it's not gonna be persuasive.

Quote Tweet

San Francisco Chronicle

@sfchronicle

Dec 12, 2021

In an interview with The Chronicle, VP Kamala Harris warned of grave consequences if the Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade: “I don’t mean to sound alarmist, I mean this: Women will die." Read more: bit.ly/3EOQ0Sx

Show this thread

109

Replying to

That makes it sound like persuasion is impossible, which it empirically doesn't seem like it is

Aella

@Aella_Girl

Replying to

@ChanaMessinger

I think it's possible! arguments like "abortion isn't actually shooting babies in the head" at least address the problem. arguments like "anti abortion people don't care about women's rights" just sound idiotic

9:04 PM · Dec 13, 2021

Replying to

and

Silly point: applying your translator to that argument yields “shooting babies in the head isn’t really shooting babies in the head”, which sounds silly, so it doesn’t pass your test.

Replying to

and

I think it does pass my test! It doesn't sound silly to me.

Show replies

Replying to

I mean, I think that while belief is largely earnest, one can also discount the feelings of outgroup people and "don't care about women's rights" is in part pointing at something real there, even if it's not good for persuasion. I've found failures like that in my own beliefs.

Replying to

is it? I don't think "not caring about women's rights " rings particularly true at all in any meaningful way to me. maybe I'm not understanding your point here

Show replies

Replying to

and

Women regularly dying from botched abortions in the pre-Roe era was one of the key motivations behind the abortion rights movement. Like this ain’t a rhetorical strategy, it’s a predictable policy result

Replying to

and

THANK YOU! It pains me to see both sides fundamentally misunderstanding the other’s position while not being able to communicate about the actual issue... wait, did I just describe all issues in modern American politics?

Replying to

and

The 'women's bodies' framing has always infuriated me. I have actually discussed abortion with people who think that pro-lifers actually *want* to control women's bodies, as if that is the end in itself. They just hate women, or something. Ridiculous.

Replying to

and

Not sure this passes your persuasion rule: ‘shooting babies in the head isn’t actually shooting babies in the head’ 😄 Kinda requires some initial lateral thinking which probs wouldn’t happen in such an argument

Show more replies