There are a lot of circumstances where this doesn't work (it is generally inefficient against nazis and other hardcore ideologues), but eh -
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- it is certainly more effective than bemoaning the lack of education and refinement on the part of an opponent that is more powerful.
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Calling Trump voters deplorable, shouting NOT YOUR WOMEN or otherwise entrenching antagonism towards people who could be won over... loses -
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- any gain you could have made, and keeps you firmly in the weaker position, as college-activism-as-leftism roundly demonstrates.
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With what we know alt human deciding making, it amazes me that people choose to antagonise rather than empathise.
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Well, I say that - I think the game in many cases is to wind up your opposites and make them 'other' your allies.
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I disagree. Given what we know about human decision-making, it's obvious that people are generally poor at strategic thinking.
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Well exactly; most people don't make decisions in a logical fashion, so they are vulnerable to particular rhetoric.
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The most basic kind seems to start with: I'm like you, I understand you - THEY don't understand you. (Obvious eg Trump).
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So why antagonise? If it's being done tactically, it's not to persuade directly. Otherwise, it's just a dumb approach.
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Trump made the puppets dance.
"Oh lord," they cried.
"He really understands nothing."
So they danced on, moved but unbothered.