As the Wizard told Scarecrow, “I can’t give you any brains but I can give you a diploma.”
If they’re asked at separate times, sure.
If they’re asked at the same time, in my experience they get angry and/or defensive and, rather than answer, accuse you of playing gotcha games.
I.e. there’s little point in showing them their contradictions. It’s not a matter of thought so much as faith. And by pointing things out, you aren’t engaging in some kind of high minded debate but questioning their faith. And historically, very few people have ever reacted well to having the tenets of their faith questioned.
But my whole point is: it’s not a contradiction — and so it’s not a gotcha game — if they in fact happen to believe that some Democrats are stupid and incompetent, and that some Democrats are capable of elaborate plans and conspiracies.
There’s likewise no contradiction or gotcha or whatever if you ask, hey, do you believe that some Senators are male, and some are female? Do you believe that some actors have won the Oscar, and that some haven’t? That some people are teens, but — and this is the tricky part, stay with me here — some aren’t?
If they can blandly offer up two “yes” replies to those sorts of questions — yes, even if they get asked ‘em at the same time — then it seems to me that the whole conversation could go swimmingly. You say that, in your experience, such folks get angry and defensive rather than answer, but I can assure you: I’m going to run the experiment the very next time I meet with my Republican-voting in-laws. I’m going to ask them: “hey, do you believe that some Democrats are stupid and incompetent, and that some Democrats are capable of elaborate plans and conspiracies?” My guess is that they’ll grin and treat it like the softball question I intend it to be, but I promise to let you know if they surprise the heck out of me.
Nah, there are a not inconsiderable number of people who believe the SAME people are both incompetent but also simultaneously nefarious schemers.
The Biden “crime family” thing got brought up earlier. That’s just one example. Joe Biden is somehow too incompetent to serve as President but also runs a nefarious crime family.
And showing them that example serves no purpose - they don’t see the contradiction in their own thinking. It’s just a matter of dogmatic faith at this point, and they’ll respond like so many have responded (here on this board and elsewhere) to having it pointed out. Not with reasoned discussion but emotional outbursts and counterattacks.
Yes, this.
@The_Other_Waldo_Pepper , might you ask your in-laws whether Joe Biden is simultaneously senile and out-of-it, and ALSO the cunning head of a crime family that never leaves a shred of evidence…?
I could, but I’ve only ever heard them say stuff about him being senile and out-of-it; I’ve never heard them say he’s the cunning head of a crime family. So if I ask them that, they have the option of replying that, no, he’s just senile and out-of-it — and I wouldn’t then have the option of calling them out on an inconsistency, because, well, AFAIK, there isn’t one. But, again, I might have that wrong, so I’ll give it a shot and find out.
Yeah, I’ve done that, in particular with specific Democrats. It very much is doublethink going on. Makes me concerned that all those concussions playing football are catching up with him (something that worries him, too, actually).
He’s an intelligent guy… but completely gullible in certain areas. He’s not rational about political parties.
^ Yeah, like that.
No, it’s not two separate groups of Democrats - it’s believing both things about the exact same set of people
I’m sure none of us want you to get into family trouble, but: it’s certainly of interest to many of us (I feel safe in saying).
It may be fair to note that we humans are prone to this sort of thing; Orwell didn’t invent the term “doublethink” completely out of whole cloth, after all.
Yes, it’s faith based politics. Denying the facts or the internal contradictions of their position is not only something they do easily, it’s something they consider virtuous. Good people demonstrate faith, therefore holding to their dogma in the face of disproof is a sign of moral righteousness; while admitting it’s wrong would be a denial of faith and therefore evil and sinful.
The Right simply doesn’t value facts or logic. Just hatred and loyalty to dogma.
Heh. Back when my mom and I went on a road trip last year, one of her extremely religious cousins texted her that she would be PRAYING for us as we drove on I-95. Mom texted a reply to thank her for the good thoughts, and to share her opinion on the part of the drive she dreaded the most (not I-95, surprisingly). Religious cousin promptly texted Mom back to tell her they were NOT good thoughts, but PRAYERS! and that I-95 is far too dangerous to drive on, and that she doesn’t drive on it anymore, and can barely stand to be in a car on I-95…
Needless to say, Mom wasn’t surprised at all when we didn’t get a Christmas card from the religious cousin.
Farmers are getting nervous, now that RFKjr announced he wants to ban high fructose corn syrup and seed oils, both billion dollar crops in Trump Country.
I don’t understand why the farmers are upset. This is what they voted for. Shouldn’t they be happy?
My large-chain grocery store was out of eggs last time I went.
Like Notre Dame!
For a moment I thought “Why would Notre Dame have eggs?”
Sure, but they never thought that the leopards would eat their face.
Especially as Notre Dame has rabbits, not chickens. You know, in the hutch back there.
Leopards don’t like eggs. Possibly. And Spoons doesn’t like eggs. So, basic logic suggests….
Ha! Well concluded, good Doctor!
I wanted to play football for Notre Dame, but for some reason, there was no position on the team named the hunchback.