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  • Mehrunes_Laser [comrade/them, any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I've deradicalized 3 chuds so far. Two were capital "G" gamers who routinely dropped the gamer word, and the other is my boomer Reganite co-worker. And now all three are now card carrying sra members. It's fucking exhausting but it's also literal praxis and worth ever minute.

    Read as much theory as you can. Yeah it fucking sucks. Yeah it's fucking work. But this is the bare minimum to be anything other than a bitchy do nothing lib. Audiobooks and video essays are fine. Make time for this because it will pay dividends.

    Learn the Socratic method. The dude was onto something with this one. If you can git gud at this form of debate, you can change minds. It takes time, but it's like planting and watering a seed. It takes a long time before you'll see anything happen, but once it does, it's satisfying.

    Keep at it constantly. And start with the small shit. I like to start with basic capitalism and money velocity. Help them understand how corps are like pyramid schemes. Or how stores like walmart suck money out of a community and deposit it thousands of miles away. You're trying to build a foundation. Chuds are mad at capitalism, they just don't know it. But don't use words like capitalism, Marxism, proletariat or things like that. Those words stop thoughts. Use "big business", "economics" and "working class".

    Pick your battles, but don't give up ground you've already gained. If you've talked them down off some racist bullshit, don't give an inch back. Set it in stone and never move. But don't push forward too hard either. Too much and they will shut off. Baby steps.

    And finally, always be understanding and willing to listen without getting upset. Stay even keeled and consistent. Don't mirror their volume or anger. But do empathize with them. You're trying to undo literal decades of mental trauma, shit is going to be dicey in there.

    Beyond that, don't get discouraged if you can't reach them all. At the end of the day you really don't owe them a response at all. They will probably get addicted to arguing with you if you're any good. Humans have a natural desire to debate. And withholding your argument is an equally valid tool in your arsenal.

    • Notcontenttobequiet [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Do you have any audio / video recs for some intro theory and Socratic method? I made a post about it a little while ago, but didn't get any response. I'm someone with a learning disability and having some of this stuff stick is difficult for me.

      • Mehrunes_Laser [comrade/them, any]
        ·
        edit-2
        4 years ago

        Im dyslexic, so I do best with audiobooks and video essays. I would start with youtube. Breadtube gets shit on around here for being too lib, but it's a great entry point. Philosophy tube is good for the basics of philosophy. I also like radical reviewer. His reviews of books help me decide if reading a particular book will be interesting enough to hold my attention. From there, audiobook bay is great for free books. Anarchist library too.

        Ill see if I can find a vid for the Socratic method in The morning.

          • safflower [she/her]
            ·
            3 years ago

            did you ever find any material for learning the socratic method? i need it so badly!

            • Notcontenttobequiet [he/him]
              ·
              3 years ago

              I completely forgot about this! I have been doing some YouTube searching and this is a fun introduction:

              https://youtu.be/1SClxi3yYaI It uses a scene from Pulp Fiction to explain the basis of the Socratic Method.

              https://youtu.be/EB4MYGInRl4 This is a very useful lecture with slides

              https://youtu.be/yIbV1nzOqgM This is a quick intro to how it can be applied in a classroom setting

              https://youtu.be/46CYtwXH_aE Longer lecture I haven't finished watching yet

              It seems like a lot of law schools have resources on this. There also seems to be applications in behavioral therapy and teaching. If you are looking for help in regards to casual arguments, I'm sure there's more generalized resources out there. I'm going to keep looking myself and I'll let you know!