Like easily digestible critiques of NGOs or prison or something like that. Could also be of the liberal order in general but I don’t know if it’s too broad for a short essay.
Citations Needed is basically exactly that. They have transcripts of all their eps here, you can scroll down to one and then pick and choose a topic.
If you want a more specific recommendation I'd need more specific info - what are you trying to do? Reach common ground? Radicalize them? Argue with them?
Argue and radicalize them. They are open minded and voted for the furthest left party that has any chance in our last election but they are not fully radicalized. They are critical of capitalism but hold onto that the (liberal) order is the framework in which we should enact change I feel like.
Maybe something pro china? Something about the uyghurs? I'm honestly not sure which topics would be best.
And stay away from China stuff, just pretend like it doesn't exist until the person is well and truly radicalized. Don't even bring up communism or say "working class" or "proletariat", just hammer home the ways that liberalism crushes down regular people in favor of the rich and powerful. Your job is not to defend AES states, it's not to present an alternative, it's to stay on the offensive until their idea that the liberal order is worth keeping is destroyed, and to do that you have to avoid triggering any brainworms they might have
Thanks for all the advice. We settled on this article: https://citationsneeded.medium.com/news-brief-debunking-the-5-most-common-anti-palestinian-talking-points-4290327fdc06
They described themselves as critical of Israel but not knowing that much. Should be interesting. Should probably read up on Israel history/why they are an apartheid state.
The best tack to take with Israel-Palestine is to focus on the evils they commit today tbh.
Best topics for that kind of person are the ways the liberal framework screws over normal people in favor of the bourgeoisie - how it actively worked against things that person specifically advocates for. An example from my own life was back in 2009 when I realized that Obama wasn't going to inflict any repercussions on the banks that defrauded people until the economy collapsed while my friends were evicted from their houses. You'll have to tailor the argument to where you live and whatever their key issues are, climate change is usually a safe bet for that kind of person but they might have something else.
Thanks, they look interesting, gonna watch them but I need something written since they aren't into youtube videos.
The new jim crow by Michelle Alexander might help. It's extremely thorough and well sourced, which libs love, but it's also lib friendly in that it doesn't explicitly say that capitalism is the reason that we have so many prisoners and that they're slaves (iirc, it's been a hot minute since I read it). It was a key book in my growth from a lib to a baby leftist
Book looks interesting but I think they're past that point in their political journey. A book that centers capitalism as the problem would actually better. But for now we're gonna stick to shorter texts anyways.
Depending on their living situation talking about Landlords is a good way to go. If you can get them to understand that landlords just take money without actually producing anything of benefit it is easier to convince them that capitalists do the exact same thing.