4 ms·

That is not an argument, that is a propaganda tool used against the easily-persuaded.

mahmud 15y ago
The easily-persuaded pretty much describes the majority of the electorate, at least in my country. The average American votes against his best interest. The official response to any opposition to totalitarian tactics is .. FUD. Something only less blatant than what I have written above.
- xorglorb 15y ago
  Sadly true.
- oelewapperke 15y ago
  Yet America somehow manages to keep it's hands off the internet. Mostly. Compared to what you find in every middle eastern countries, the US government hardly ever touches the internet. Compared to most Asian countries (not just China), same. Opposition to totalitarianism in the US ... well, at least it exists and actually created a non-totalitarian government. More than 50% of all humans alive DO live under totalitarian governments, where it's not just a theoretical possibility to get executed for a blog post. A person sharing your name, mahmud, got arrested in Bahrain for suggesting that executing gays is (and he included maybe) not the best idea. Sadly, Bahrain is easily the most free middle eastern country. I dare you, just try living in the middle east for 6 months. Just try it. Anywhere.
- waqf 15y ago
  I'm not saying you're wrong, but have you considered how you would disprove the alternate possibility that the "easily-persuaded majority" is a bogeyman conjured up by the media to explain why the candidate that everyone you know voted for wasn't elected?
  - mahmud 15y ago
    You assume I take my opinions from "the media". No. You can tail -f the legal Changelog of your favorite state and deduce the fuckedupness-beyond-repair of the populace.
    - waqf 15y ago
      I'm confused, you seem to be assuming that my favorite state is democratic somehow? Otherwise I can only deduce fuckedupness of the politicians, which is not in dispute.
      - mahmud 15y ago
        I was speaking specifically of the United States. I don't know of any state in the union that isn't democratic. I know Texas' redistricting shenanigans are sleazy, but it's still a democracy.
crististm 15y ago
That is exactly the problem: you get results by persuasion, not by logical arguments.

The easily-persuaded pretty much describes the majority of the electorate, at least in my country. The average American votes against his best interest. The official response to any opposition to totalitarian tactics is .. FUD. Something only less blatant than what I have written above.

xorglorb 15y ago
Sadly true.
oelewapperke 15y ago
Yet America somehow manages to keep it's hands off the internet. Mostly. Compared to what you find in every middle eastern countries, the US government hardly ever touches the internet. Compared to most Asian countries (not just China), same. Opposition to totalitarianism in the US ... well, at least it exists and actually created a non-totalitarian government. More than 50% of all humans alive DO live under totalitarian governments, where it's not just a theoretical possibility to get executed for a blog post. A person sharing your name, mahmud, got arrested in Bahrain for suggesting that executing gays is (and he included maybe) not the best idea. Sadly, Bahrain is easily the most free middle eastern country. I dare you, just try living in the middle east for 6 months. Just try it. Anywhere.
waqf 15y ago
I'm not saying you're wrong, but have you considered how you would disprove the alternate possibility that the "easily-persuaded majority" is a bogeyman conjured up by the media to explain why the candidate that everyone you know voted for wasn't elected?
- mahmud 15y ago
  You assume I take my opinions from "the media". No. You can tail -f the legal Changelog of your favorite state and deduce the fuckedupness-beyond-repair of the populace.
  - waqf 15y ago
    I'm confused, you seem to be assuming that my favorite state is democratic somehow? Otherwise I can only deduce fuckedupness of the politicians, which is not in dispute.
    - mahmud 15y ago
      I was speaking specifically of the United States. I don't know of any state in the union that isn't democratic. I know Texas' redistricting shenanigans are sleazy, but it's still a democracy.

crististm 15y ago

That is exactly the problem: you get results by persuasion, not by logical arguments.