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Beverly Hebert's avatar

I often interact with MAGAs on social media to counter the rightwing propaganda they regularly consume, although I know I am hitting my head against a brick wall. When I present facts and evidence that refutes some lie or conspiracy theory they are posting or sharing, the common responses are that 1) I am a communist, 2) brainwashed by CNN, or 3) that whatever sources I used (Wash Post, NY Times, PolitiFact, the Atlantic, NASA, etc.) are leftist/liberal and not credible.

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Mike S's avatar

Beverly - your comment struck a chord with me, I have to share this with you. I often do the same on Xitter, trying to have civil-ish dialogue with (relatively) reasonable MAGAs I happen to encounter. Call it a sociology experiment. My wife calls it something else.

Inevitably I get the same dismissive and/or insulting responses that you do. Occasionally I persist for sport, and keep it civil and fact-based (it ain't easy) even after the dismissive/ignorant response(s). After a few more exchanges, with me neither insulting them in return nor letting go of the point at hand, I try to respond again ... and find myself blocked.

They seem to reach a point where insults don't end the discussion, and the facts and civility keep coming, so they just pull the plug. It happens more often than not in those situations. I find it funny/curious, for what it's worth. Blow on them long enough and they fall over!

And never, never, never have any of them conceded anything ("hey, good point, now that you put it that way"). Easier to run away.

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Beverly Hebert's avatar

Yes, I have also encountered the cut off response, but more often they tell me to go away, or they tell me that I am suffering from TDS - that's one of their favorite comebacks. If you are always able to remain polite, you're a finer person than me Mike! I began with all good intentions to be always civil, polite, and kind - and as Michelle Obama once said, "to go high when they go low." Alas, I am also not so fine or disciplined a person as MO either - and I had no idea how really low so many of them will go. There came a point when I began to be so frustrated and disgusted with their smug condescension and insults coupled with of willful ignorance, bigotry, racism and even viciousness that too often now I do become rude in return. I think those of us who try to interact with them on any regular basis probably could use a support group to help us deal with the feelings they provoke.

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Mike S's avatar

I too have been regularly diagnosed with TDS. LOL, sign me up for that support group.

I’ll confess that for every one of my polite interactions, there’s at least a couple that aren’t so polite. Most of the social media MAGAs and trolls are not worth the effort of civility.

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Dick Lanier's avatar

And don't forget that if you cite some authority figure that agrees with your claim, the Trumplicant response is that they are certainly "members of the Deep State".

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