It's time for another brief thread about some bad faith rhetorical stylings and not being drawn in by them.

Folks, especially women, I hate to say it, but chances are you've got friends or family who are repeating propaganda. They may not realize they are, but you should.

1/12

Let's say you post a statement which indicates your position, like "Police aren't authorized to simply execute people suspected of crimes" or "Democrats are not murdering babies to drink their blood."

And then your friend or relative shows up.

[2/12

"I'm just wondering," she says, "Just honestly wondering, and I'm afraid me asking this will make people mad at me, so I'm scared to ask it, but I'm going to try anyway."

She sets herself up to look like she's a brave underdog confronting a likely threat.

[3/12

Maybe you even tell her it's okay if she asks.

Now you have been manipulated already, into agreeing to defend her use of your space, your platform. No matter what she says, you've told her it'll be okay.

She takes a deep breath, and proceeds.

[4/12

"I'm just wondering how you can be sure there's no child trafficking," she says. "I mean gosh, I'd be devastated if they got to my little daughter, don't you worry about your children?"

Now anything you say that pushes back is evidence you don't love your kids.

[5/12

OR WHATEVER. I encourage you to google up some of the popular conspiracy theories. I'm not going to link them. They're the things where when you hear someone say them, in your rational heart, you're like WTF? This is outrageous nonsense.

[6/12

So maybe you push back gently. Maybe you push back hard. And then your friend accuses you of not engaging with them sincerely, like don't you have something productive to bring to this conversation?

And the major point is this:

There's nothing you CAN bring to it.

[7/12

Your friend isn't sincere. She's already taken the bait. She's already going down that road. You're not going to save her with reason.

Your mission is to *stop her* from using YOUR SPACE to broadcast that propaganda.

[8/12

When she says "I'm not even sure what I think about this, but I mean, I am worried about Marxists taking over and we need to stop the hate," you need to realize it's TOO LATE.

You should also realize she's quite possibly lying about how she plans to vote, btw.

[9/12

You're not talking to a friend who's asking you to help her understand something confusing.

You're up against someone who has already become propagandized and is following a directive to push the same propaganda wherever she can.

[10/12

Your benefit of the doubt is the biggest crack in your armor.

Be firm. "Karen, I love you, but don't bring this propaganda to my page."

"Becky, that's conspiracy propaganda, and I'm not having it."

"Mom, I told you, no Q stuff here."

[11/12

It's not easy. But cut them off. If they'll use your social media spaces, your dinner table, and so forth, to spread propaganda, then when things escalate further -- and they're likely to -- you bet they're not going to be there like "Wait, let me help my leftist friend."

[end]