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Gaslighting combined with a Red Herring of racism, sexism, etc. is the ultimate way to achieve any political goal in today's US politics. I hope people realize

Gaslighting combined with a Red Herring of racism, sexism, etc. is the ultimate way to achieve any political goal in today's US politics. I hope people realize this and are exercising critical thinking as appropriate.

testfoobar 6y ago
These are incredibly powerful magical spells to stop debate in its tracks. Few organizations in the US are immune. Doesn't matter whether it is a Facebook group, a University, a Trillion dollar corporation or the US Government. Debate can be stopped.
mensetmanusman 6y ago
It’s a win-win for the current power system. I also wish progressives realized they were being used as tools in this battle.
- odiroot 6y ago
  I believe Lenin called such people "useful idiots".
- JeremyNT 6y ago
  Oh, most do. This kind of vacuous PR nonsense is blatantly transparent and isn't really fooling anybody. Those who are already on the "team" (i.e. - they identify as a member of the party but have no particular ideology of their own) may appear swayed, but usually this is just a bad faith effort on the part of party loyalists to stifle criticism from within.
  - hintymad 6y ago
    Really fooled or not, the radical progressives have won the cultural war, no? TV anchors and politicians use racism and sexism to attack pretty much any opposing views. Case in point, WaPo(?) article said WSB folks were white supremacists/Trump supporters, never mind majority of them are actually supporters of Sanders. Where is the voice of the people who are not really fooled?
    - Person5478 6y ago
      we as a society will move on from it at some point. It's not really about winning the cultural war, it's about the elites manipulating the population and thus using the language du jour. 20-30 years ago it would have been about family values, christian values, and down with the gays. In 20-30 years it'll be something else, but what won't change is those in power stay in power.
- CountDrewku 6y ago
  They've been doing it to black people for decades. Swoop into inner cities and promise all sorts of welfare etc. get their vote and completely ignore them afterwards. Has it helped? It makes no sense to me that they believe an old rich white elite that's been part of the system they're calling racist for half a century is suddenly going to bring them out of poverty. The hypocrisy of Harris/Biden to get up and declare the system corrupt... THEY ARE THE SYSTEM.
Aunche 6y ago
You can interpret anything as gaslighting. This sort of discussion rarely productive without concrete evidence. Maybe the wealthy are trying to burn Yellen's political capital because she's in favor of additional taxes. Maybe it's really corporations who are stirring up populist narratives because it gets less qualified candidates elected, who then need to turn to corporations for expertise.

testfoobar 6y ago

These are incredibly powerful magical spells to stop debate in its tracks. Few organizations in the US are immune. Doesn't matter whether it is a Facebook group, a University, a Trillion dollar corporation or the US Government. Debate can be stopped.

mensetmanusman 6y ago

It’s a win-win for the current power system. I also wish progressives realized they were being used as tools in this battle.

odiroot 6y ago
I believe Lenin called such people "useful idiots".
JeremyNT 6y ago
Oh, most do. This kind of vacuous PR nonsense is blatantly transparent and isn't really fooling anybody. Those who are already on the "team" (i.e. - they identify as a member of the party but have no particular ideology of their own) may appear swayed, but usually this is just a bad faith effort on the part of party loyalists to stifle criticism from within.
- hintymad 6y ago
  Really fooled or not, the radical progressives have won the cultural war, no? TV anchors and politicians use racism and sexism to attack pretty much any opposing views. Case in point, WaPo(?) article said WSB folks were white supremacists/Trump supporters, never mind majority of them are actually supporters of Sanders. Where is the voice of the people who are not really fooled?
  - Person5478 6y ago
    we as a society will move on from it at some point. It's not really about winning the cultural war, it's about the elites manipulating the population and thus using the language du jour. 20-30 years ago it would have been about family values, christian values, and down with the gays. In 20-30 years it'll be something else, but what won't change is those in power stay in power.
CountDrewku 6y ago
They've been doing it to black people for decades. Swoop into inner cities and promise all sorts of welfare etc. get their vote and completely ignore them afterwards. Has it helped? It makes no sense to me that they believe an old rich white elite that's been part of the system they're calling racist for half a century is suddenly going to bring them out of poverty. The hypocrisy of Harris/Biden to get up and declare the system corrupt... THEY ARE THE SYSTEM.

Aunche 6y ago

You can interpret anything as gaslighting. This sort of discussion rarely productive without concrete evidence. Maybe the wealthy are trying to burn Yellen's political capital because she's in favor of additional taxes. Maybe it's really corporations who are stirring up populist narratives because it gets less qualified candidates elected, who then need to turn to corporations for expertise.