Those Who Cannot Win a Debate Try to Shut the Debate Down

[marmar]

from Washington Monthly:



August 4, 2009

THOSE WHO CANNOT WIN A DEBATE TRY TO SHUT THE DEBATE DOWN.... If you put aside civility, decency, American political traditions, and intellectual honesty, the right-wing harassment strategy makes quite a bit of sense. It's a straightforward idea -- corporate interests, which have a financial stake in killing health care reform, organize far-right fanatics to disrupt public events and discussions, and create the appearance of widespread opposition.

It makes sense, of course, because the lobbyists and their unhinged activists have very little to lose. Some lawmakers might feel intimidated enough to balk at reform. Some reporters might tell the public that there's genuine outrage at the idea of reform, and neglect to mention that these enraged mobs are manufactured p.r. stunts.

And some members of Congress might decide it's not worth the trouble and cancel town-hall events altogether, which would be the real victory for the right-wing -- the more there's an honest discussion about how reform would help American families and businesses, the more likely reform will pass. If far-right activists can shut down the conversation before it even begins, concerned voters are less likely to learn the truth.

When one side of a debate considers open, honest discussion to be the enemy, it says quite a bit about the integrity of their argument. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_08/019346.php

[Eric J in MN]

1. Regarding the possibility a Rep may 'cancel town-hall events altogether'

If a Rep decided that for August 2009, he or she was going to meet with consituents a few at a time in an office instead of 500 at a time in a townhall, it would be OK.

[izquierdista]

2. They exposed their hand

Now that they have spilled all their cards on the table, and everyone at the debating table has seen their hand, I think their bluff is over. It might have worked if they could get one or two rabble-rousers at each event, and kept the planning of it under wraps, but now the jig is up as to what their game is. Continuing to bluff when everyone has seen your cards is not winning poker.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Unfortunately this tactic is not just limited to the right

[nightrain]

4. exactly. You took the words right out of my mouth!! It happens on DU all the time by

attacking the messenger, disparaging or discrediting the poster or the author, changing the subject, getting very tangential.

[pipi_k]

12. I have to agree also

I see it happen here on DU all the time. Most of the time it doesn't bother me when people go off on tangents or try to change the subject. I just figure that's the way their minds work or maybe they don't fully understand the topic.

What really bothers me, though, are the vulgarities tossed at others like confetti at a party. What's the point of people telling each other to "fuck off" or whatever...at that point it's plain that the person doing it has lost both his/her mind and the debate and is resorting to the only thing left in a limited arsenal.

[Adam Kirur]

9. Remember the 80s

Conservative speakers were often shouted off the stage on
college campuses. It was wrong for the Left [i]then,[/i] and
it's wrong for the Right [i]now.[/i]

[eppur_se_muova]

5. If you don't have the law, argue the facts ...

If you don't have the facts, argue the law ...

If you don't have either -- pound the table a lot.

[JohnWxy]

6. recommended. This is a Big part of the GOP strategy. Since they don't care if anything gets done

they are happy to grind everything to a halt.

[Uncle Joe]

7. I believe there may be a backlash to these mobs' actions in shutting down free speech.

The Congress People will surely recognize their own blatant loss of power; to adequately communicate with their constituents on such a critical issue to corporate manipulation.

If the Congress People don't recognize their own impotence in dealing with this anarchic situation, their constituents will.

As a result I believe Congress People sitting on the fence will line up behind serious health care reform as a first step in checking unbridled corporate power and corruption.

After this abuse, when health care reform is resolved I would suggest a strong push toward serious corporate media reform, obviously the vast majority of the corporate media have betrayed even putting up a pretense of caring about serving the public good or interest.

[winyanstaz]

8. there is a crowd of the same posters doing that here in du...

especially any posts about what might be in the flu vaccines...

[Doctor_J]

10. and, unless they are forcibly stopped, they succeed

at least in the current case.

[WestSeattle2]

11. Why don't they just remove the screamers and shouters?...

People either speak one at a time or the ones who refuse to play by the rules are removed by police. Seems like a no-brainer. If there are 30 assholes, then 30 assholes will be forcibly removed from the premises.

[Politicalboi]

13. That's what I think they should do too

And the ones who give them more trouble fine their asses. $250.00 ought to do it.