Stop Me If You've Heard This One...




Implied Extremism:

Take any blue item. Call it A.
Find the blue item directly opposite A. Call it B.
Find the red label at the edge nearest B. Call it C.

Anyone who is willing to give up ___A___ in favor of ___B___ must be a ___C___.

For example:
Anyone who is willing to give up moral virtue in favor of social justice must be a nihilist or a revolutionary.

Assumed Extremism:

Take any faction label. Call it A.
Find the blue item nearest A. Call it B.
Find the red label at the edge nearest A. Call it C.
Find the blue item opposite B. Call it D.

Even though ___A___ claim to favor ___B___ they're really ___C___ who want to destroy ___D___.

For example:
Even though right-leaning independents claim to favor self reliance they're really militia members and secessionists who want to destroy the social safety net.

Projected Extremism:

Take any faction label. Call it A.
Find the red label at the edge one left/right of A. Call it B.
Find a faction label two to the right/left of A. Call it C.
Find the red label opposite B. Call it D.

If only ___A___ weren't secretly ___B___ they'd work with us ___C___ to keep the ___D___ in check.

For example:

If only establishment democrats weren't secretly fascists and totalitarians they'd work with us left-leading independents to keep the cronyists and corporatists in check.

And on, and on, and on.

Engaging people on the merits is always more difficult than impugning their character.