Political Hot Topics
How to cut through the noise: Pursue Data, Conclusions, Actions, Results
There are several hot topics which dominate the political landscape. Engagements on these topics often quickly devolve into high energy emotional yelling from side and they end up summarily dismissing the other party. We must move beyond polarized yelling and find the path to discussion if we are to break the cycle and move forward.
I have come to understand the mechanisms that routinely drive this intentionally counterproductive process. See my post on Post-Modernism and Collectivism as the threat to western society for more on why and how this happens.
I have learned several methods to avoid the trap of those mechanisms and have a productive conversation. By understanding how this works, we can begin to notice the mechanisms in use, look for the false assumptions or flawed logic being pushed, and question them in a way to enable discussion.
The people pushing one side of these hot button issues are systematically gaining ground in our society: in popular culture, in the media, in entertainment, in political office, in big government, in big industry, in the judiciary, and in academia. This movement is quickly approaching the tipping point. It is getting harder and harder to question the path we are on and push back if you disagree. Those that do so and have a high enough profile become the victims of viscous attacks on their integrity, their business, their personal property, and their lives. At some point, very soon, it will not be possible, and our survival will depend on conforming to their agenda; at that point we will be locked into the inevitable downward spiral of authoritarian control.
The time for silence is behind us. We each need to stand up and push back while it is still possible to do so.
You may not convince the other party that your position is right, but you might be able to help them see that you are a human with compassion and genuine interest in the topic. You might be able to plant a seed of doubt that some aspect of the narrative they are enthusiastically advocating may not ring true.
Bellow are several topics broken down with my best understanding of how to move them forward.
:…avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”(2 Tim 2:23-26)
Climate change -vs- Science Denier
- The common question is do you agree with “Climate Change” – and if your do not immediately and enthusiastically say yes and you can’t wait for the green new deal.. you are dismissed as a science denier.
- The established narrative is: Mankind is destroying the planet; Climate change is an existential threat and will destroy us all 12 years unless we act dramatically and immediately; the only acceptable solution is to achieve carbon neutrality by reworking everything in society to drastically reduce energy consumption and simultaneously convert to entirely renewable sources of supply; this is a absolute panic and we must act immediately, the only way to accomplish this unprecedented scale of change on this panic timeline is to committal all resources into government control.
- So in order to break through the narrative you must break it into its pieces:
- Yes – I agree the climate is changing… It always is changing, and always will be.
- Yes – I agree mankind is contributing to the change to some extent – it is not clear how much
- Yes – there is a study claiming 97+% of climate scientists agree that man’s contribution is “significant”. This study reviewed studies published by climate change researchers and 97% of them had reached a conclusion that there was likely a significant relationship between the activities of mankind and climate change. It did not in any way attempt to quantify the magnitude of that relationship.
- I understand no one has been able to pin down just how much ( a little, some, a lot, most, all)
- There is great disagreement on what effect mans contribution will have on temperatures in the future
- Historic models have overpredicted the effect we be experiencing now; so more work is needed.
- Science shows that the projected temperatures are within the historic experience for the planet
- There is significant difference of opinion about what would be appropriate for us to do at this point and when we need to do it.
- Two angles to work it: Reduce the production of CO2, find ways to mitigate the effects of warming as they manifest.
- The US continues to make good progress reducing CO2 emissions
- Other countries are contributing significantly more emissions and are not effectively reducing it..
- Why back out of the Paris accord? The Paris accord put disproportionate burden on the US and did not engage the largest producers.
- The green new deal is offered as the solution for the US- It is partially intended to reduce consumption by rebuilding our houses and commercial buildings, shifting to e-cars, eliminating dairy, to eliminate CO2 emissions and partly to convert the entire economy to government control.
- est, or should we immediately disrupt life as we know it and commit all of our resources to a government run program to reinvent our society and our lives.
- The appropriate discussion needs to be about how serious is the actual threat, how soon will it manifest, and what actions are possible and appropriate to optimize our long term existence. The fact that the narrative of climate change invokes absolute urgency and imposes the radical Green New Deal as the solution, it is not unreasonable to expect that we understand the true urgency and robustly contemplate the range of options before merely embracing the narrative of panic response.There are dozens of well documented miracles which occurred during the founding of the United States.
- (summarize a few of them )
- <<< Click here to see references >>> (add ref page and link it)
How do you cut through typical arguments and yelling and get to a discussion
- Arguing from position of authority – PHD xyz says abc so it must be true… you can’t possibly understand
- Binary question – Asserting a question with an implied narrative and dismissing you if you do not accept the entire narrative
- Do you believe in climate change? (implying the entire narrative: it is existential threat, we have 10 years, mankind is driving it, the US must rework everything immediately, the govt is the only body who can possibly do it) If you say no or question any element of the narrative you are dismissed as a science denier. The best way to approach this is to reframe the question: Lets break this down: Do i believe that the climate is changing – yes, Is it normal for the climate to change – yes, Are we driving the current change – some of it, but not clear how much,
- Book: Tipping points : How to topple the Left’s house of cards – by Liz Wheeler
Collectivism is
- <<< Click here to see references >>> (add ref page and link it)
Progressive initiatives c
- You can tell l our leaders in place – Love them, Pray for them.
Additional Resources
- He has connected me with some amazing resources. I am highlighting only a few of my favorites here:
- Jordan Peterson – Psychologist, author, speaker working to reverse the damage already done by the left
- Candace Owens – Articulate activist working to release the black community from the bonds of modern leftist plantation
- PragerU – Library of short videos addressing current political hot topics
- Liz Wheeler – Articulate author and broadcaster working to expose radical left
- Denish D’Souza – Conservative movie producer, writer, public speaker working to debunk the left
- Emmanuel Swedenborg – amazing insight into spiritual world – watch this 101 video