He went from just your bog standard Obama lib to Andy Ngo-worshipping Nazi. How do we reeducate folks like this? I think my old friend might be gone forever :(

  • something_witty [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    How far gone are they? And are they a genuinely good person?

    If they are still a decent person under all the shit, the best thing to do is just continually being their friend, while always challenging their PoV. I have seen people come back from the ledge on these sorts of things just by hearing alternatives. I think a lot of people get sucked into this shit not because they are intrinsically hateful but because they feel the world has kinda left them behind and they fear the future. So if you just cut him out, ignore his arguments, push him away, he will end up falling deeper into this shit. it will reinforce the view he is seeing, that the left is intolerant of everyone else. So make sure he feels heard and loved, while also refuting him and forcing him to actually think beyond his narrow minded view.

    And if that doesnt work, bash the fash.

    • joseph [he/him, they/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      He used to be a decent caring person but I genuinely think he fell into a bunch of incel shit because he's never been able to hold down a relationship for longer than a few weeks in his adult life. I think that made him really jaded about humanity in general which sent him down a dark path which slowly pushed him rightward. We live in separate states now (tbh most of our college group is so spread out I'm not sure he has many friends locally anymore period so that can't be helpful for him). Anyways it's not like I see him all the time. When I do see him I just try to push back on the talking points. I'm just worried it's too late.

      • ANameToIgnore [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I don't have a lot of it on hand but Ngo has been caught lying multiple times and is really clearly a propagandists maybe just try taking that angle? Ignore talking points just attack Ngo get him off of that and then idk what

      • something_witty [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        The separate states bit is hard, but I'd just keep talking to him I guess. Maybe not even about politics, just about whatever shit you guys used to have in common.