politics
Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!
Rules:
- Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.
Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.
Example:
- Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
- Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
- No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
- Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
- No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning
We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.
All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.
That's all the rules!
Civic Links
• Congressional Awards Program
• Library of Congress Legislative Resources
• U.S. House of Representatives
Partnered Communities:
• News
view the rest of the comments
It's easier said than done, for many people. A lot of people prefer to avoid potential confrontation. It's sensible to the individual, but it does end up enabling the spread of disinformation as a result.
A good tip for these situations is to make it seem like you just figured something out. Go, "Wait..." and look like you're confused and thinking about it. Then slowly mention each point, laying out them out like puzzle pieces. Finally, and carefully, put it all back together to make the logical result.
Personally, I've dealt with these conflicts throughout my life (yay for autism!) and have had to learn how to handle them through trial and error. In my experience, having a positive reputation with whoever you're talking to makes your words much more powerful. Those of you who've stayed quiet (or at least, apolitical) til now may already have a big leg up on this. Also if you've never stepped in when a group is spreading disinformation, you may end up making a bigger impact than you expect. It's like when a quiet character in a show suddenly speaks up - you pay more attention, feeling that they're about to say something important.
One last thing - don't expect to change minds immediately. It takes time to process things, especially when one is confronted with logic that contradicts their beliefs. Sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes it takes a few years. Nonetheless, the more seeds of reason we sow, the better the chances that some will sprout.
I know when the person I'm dealing with is a lost cause. I also know that suppressing my opinion for their fragile feels will never be to my advantage.
Oh yes, that's an important point. There's no sense in talking to a brick wall.
Must be like looking in a mirror then.