RestoringLiberty: As the mantra of “Don’t discuss politics or religion” repeats like a drumbeat in your head, you settle on “How about that game?”
Your desperate search for the safest question to ask a colleague as you wait for the morning coffee to brew is understandable. But you can find a way.
If conservatives refrain from engaging in the narrative, we let the media and politicians (ahem, President Barack Obama) paint us as crazy people who cling to “guns or religion.”
That’s where this column comes in—a place to help you talk to the people in your life (think neighbors, co-workers, family, friends) about conservative issues.
Trust me, it’s possible.
While I will explore a wide variety of relevant topics in the weeks to come, I’d like to start with something basic and broad: the term “conservative.”
Connecting
If you look at The Heritage Foundation’s definition, you find that conservatism is five pillars: free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
So, there’s your answer, right? Just memorize and repeat when someone wants to know why you are conservative.
Wrong.
There is no faster way to kill a conversation than to categorize your perspective like it’s a to-do list.
When talking about any issue, you have to connect with the other person’s interests. And that starts by being a good listener. MORE
After 30 yrs of “talking to liberals,” I give up. The correct approach is red pill. Amused mastery, ZFG, get your needs satisfied and unfriend them. Where Joe misses the point is: liberals will never hate you any less. Use them ruthlessly for what you can take, then slip out the back. And never give them your real phone number.
What a waste of an article!
I’ve found only *one thing* works:
Full-frontal assault,
in hopes it wakes the bastards up
to the filth they promote.
Yesterday, there was a bunch of (stealth) Democrats registering voters at our library. I said my information was up to date, but that I don’t vote for “the Party of illegal aliens, cop killers and muslim terrorists.”
You should have Seen. Their. Faces.
Try it yourself sometime!
Wow, he doesn’t know some of the rabid REgressives that I do. Common ground? That’s a hoot.
Or the real deal breaker to me, common ground with people that believe it’s OK to kill a human baby up to a month after birth if things aren’t yaknow, going the way ya want? You’re kidding right? That’s like having Himmeler & Hitler over for the Sunday game because you’re both Bronco fans.
A couple more,
Or believe it’s OK for their nominee to ignore 600 requests for extra security that results in the death of a US ambassador but our nominee is unfit because he wants to limit “syrian refugees” from pouring into the country?
Or when ya get right down to it, we’re the fucking rubes that fell for the shovel ready jobs, you can keep your doctor, unemployment really is 4.8% and inflation is under 2%. That really truly believe Obama/Jarrett did a bang up job and if it wasn’t for those rascally Rs, we’d be living in a socialist paradise? Common ground with that? Good fucking luck pal.
My sister, a rabid REgressive refuses to even discuss her POV. My own sister. The craziness she believes is typical & astounding at the same time. People are dropping like flies in her Chicago yet she won’t have a weapon in the house because that’s what the police are for!!?
I warned her years ago her property taxes were going to have to be raised through the roof because it’s the only revenue stream left to pay for the billions in pensions and benefits for the teachers and city workers. I was right and even after huge raises in the last basis period, Rahm said even more is on the way.
Needless to say we fit the definition of estranged. And all the small talk in the world about our cousins, the weather, the Lake Front… ain’t gonna change shit.
I see Czar and I are on the same page again.
TO MM
Yep. Even “concepts” like *Communism* go over their heads; you really need to be concrete with your words to get that 2×4 to “connect.”
I once said to them, “I don’t vote for Socialists,”
and they replied, “neither do we.”
RIIIIIIIIIGHT.
*roll eyes*
So, I’ve found sticking with stuff like you mention or “the Party of flag burners” to be most effective.
MM, CoD — Liberalism/Progressivism is a mental disorder. I’m with you. I’m not going to foul up a perfectly great state of mind by talking to anyone over 25 years old about conservatism. However, I’ve found that the place to do that is with ‘kids’. At least the ones I’ve talked to still have only a superficial understanding of politics yet are quite willing to hear other viewpoints. And it doesn’t hurt when one is sitting in the $250,000 kitchen of a comfortable home and eating something other than pizza (which are very impressive to kids who spend the rest of their time living off ramen while listening to strident radicals describe a far off Utopia). It’s sounds crass, but most of these kids dream of someday living your lifestyle, and nothing promotes the American Dream more than the obvious rewards of having a conservative viewpoint. 😉
I’ve naturally talked to my far leftist (call me a progressive) co-workers using those common sense tactics without having anyone suggest them. I did get them to concede years ago that predatory lending was BS by reminding them that you have to sign about 50 disclosures when you close on a mortgage explaining every detail but they still believed it was all Bush’s fault. I’ve tried to explain the problems w/just raising the min wage or whatever BS they bring up. What ends up happening is they run out of pithy NPR responses and they get sullen and quiet. Sometimes weeks later they’d hear a new comment and try it on my and I’d shoot them down again. They stopped talking about political stuff around me which is wonderful. It just isn’t worth it to even bother talking to older people that embrace liberalism. They aren’t going to change their mind, that is their religion, they get validated every day from sources they care about. And they don’t want to talk about other ways to view the world – frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if after we talked they went back to their offices and got out their snowflake coloring books.
If said liberal works for a government and/or receives government benefits entity then you are a threat to their survival. They will always default to defending socialism and big government regardless of the ridiculousness of their argument.
The 3 ways I have found are:
Pick up the tab. At least they tend to be a little less offensive when they are freeloading.
Pretend they look good. Superficial as they are
Try not to nod off as they spew their bs. This is the hardest.
Tazer to the head. Press button till “comprehension” is achieved.
“Pick up the tab.”
I have found REgressives to be the cheapest fucks walking.
You guys actually talk to people you don’t have to talk to?
izlamo delenda est …
When I get some lib/socialist/commie/progressive telling me “We/government/somebody/you should do something-or-another about ______, I ask them “What would you do about it?” When they (invariably) answer with “I just told you”, I reply with “No, I ask you what would you personally do about it”. They never seem to have an answer.