From the NY Times Opinion:
Quote:
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What we need is not to disagree less, but to disagree better. And that starts when you turn away the rhetorical dope peddlers — the powerful people on your own side who are profiting from the culture of contempt.
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We wasted almost 5000 servicemen in Iraq on outright and intentional lies. Lies that were rhetoric. Facts (and numbers) exposed those lies. But extremists do not want reasons why. Extremists want to be told how to think. Peddlers easily manipulate the emotional naive.
An extremists is ordered what to think. He will deny anything that disputes rhetoric. A moderate learns facts. Then later comes to a conclusion. How to disagree better? Only become and listen to moderates.
With so many shrills and talk show hosts only pushing the "message of the day", we now have a severe shortage of moderates.
Extremists will not even discuss (admit to) moderates. Since the existence of a moderate quickly defines an extremist. Right wing extremists conclude anyone who disagrees must be a left wing extremist. That way, an extremist need not learn anything. Can ignore all facts to protect emotions. Then turns all discussion into cheapshots and personal insults.
An extremists is an adult who is still a child. He uses a reptilian brain to
feel his superiority and righteousness.
We know the Catholic Church has protected - all but promoted - pedophilia. How many are so brainwashed by religion as to deny that reality for so many generations? Even a Pope's closest advisor (from the Philippines) had to be convicted by a secular government - using facts that church always possessed - before the Pope would even consider this pedophile. Another example of an extremist. Facts intentionally ignored for an extremist agenda.
It took how many reams of facts over how many generations to get extremists to even admit the problem exists? First in Boston and then in Philadelphia, how many decades ago? Extremists still refuse to change laws (even in Pennsylvania where so much Catholic Church protected pedophilia was exposed how many times?). Extremists in PA protect pedophiles by obstructing prosecution. That is their decision based only in emotions. They deny facts to protect their rhetoric and emotional beliefs. Classic examples of an extremist. Moderates, instead, learn facts long before letting their emotional (repilitian) brain make any conclusions.
We disagree better only when facts are not intentionally ignored to make a conclusion. How many so hated America as to even believe intentional lies - that Saddam attacked the WTC? How many so hate well understood facts to claim the US government destroyed the WTC? How many are so emotional as to still know vaccines cause autism - because some blond bimbo lied and said it was true. All examples of what drives an extremist - and the resulting confrontations in places like Charlotteville NC, Rwanda and Burundi.
Moderates learn facts before making a conclusion. Wacko extremists knew Saddam had WMD only because liars even 'sexed up' the rhetoric. Extremism is predicated by conclusion generated by emotions - by even ignoring facts - ie climate change or genetically improved foods.
Emotion works when one is an extremist. Extremists subvert 'how to disagree' better. Even deny the existence of moderates to impose emotions (ie insults) into honest discussion.