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Dwhy's avatar

I do happen to think that's a lot better... deprogramming people for ordinary political beliefs would be completely deplorable, but deprogramming those who've been caught up in violent extremism is both reasonable and compassionate.

Being brainwashed by a cult is something that's happened *to* you, not something you chose. Deprogramming that brainwashing is the same thing as freeing a prisoner.

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Mike Zillion's avatar

Always nice to get input on cults from the Blue MAGA Cult

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Brent Nyitray's avatar

aka BlueAnon

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Dwhy's avatar

See, the difference here is that Qanon actually *exists*, while "BlueAnon" is a desperate figment of your imagination.

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Dwhy's avatar

Always nice to get the latest brain-droppings from duckspeaking morons. Not kidding, this is entertainment for me, so please continue.

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Dwhy's avatar

Ad hominem, no rebuttal. Nice.

I guess next you'll call me a groomer, a TDS victim, and (if you're old enough to even remember this one) a "low-information voter".

Here's a protip: if you find yourself issuing "both sides!" as though it were a legitimate argument, rethink your worldview.

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Caek Islove's avatar

OK, groomer.

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Dwhy's avatar

Not funny :/

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Tom Worster's avatar

But this is irrelevant to the vast majority of Trump voters. They are not sequestered in the compound of a cult that brainwashes them and makes it hard for them to return to an outside life. Most of the Trump voters HRC has in mind are, I believe, free people who freely chose to vote for Trump. She seems to think they are subject to Trump's mind control but that seems absurd to me.

A person stuck in a cult who no longer wants to be in that cult, or who wants a less than total personal commitment to it, may be open to what your are calling deprogramming but that's not really different from persuasion/education/counseling, it's just a fancy word for it. You can guide people to destinations they want to reach. And for the hesitant or undecided you can maybe persuade if they are sufficiently open to considering change.

But what about someone who has no interest in the guidance you want to give? Imagine a strident Trump voter who despises the established political institutions; a free, independent person and proud of it. What kind of "formal deprogramming" works on them? My own opinion is the only options are some kind of coercive neutralization but I'm interested to know what you think.

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Dwhy's avatar

Also:

"Imagine a strident Trump voter who despises the established political institutions; a free, independent person and proud of it."

If they're "free [and] independent", then by definition they're not in a cult. Duh.

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Tom Worster's avatar

Yes. That was my point. Glad you agree.

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Dwhy's avatar

nice try!

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Dwhy's avatar

"But this is irrelevant to the vast majority of Trump voters."

And Hillary Clinton was specifically, explicitly *not* talking about the majority of Trump voters. She made this abundantly clear, which you would know if you'd actually paid attention to the source material, instead of just the pre-digested slop that partisan panderers like Matt serve you up.

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Tom Worster's avatar

So you accept HRC's characterization of a cult of extreme Trump voters who take their marching orders from Trump and who wag the dog of the Trump wing of the Republican party?

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Dwhy's avatar

Nice goalpost shift.

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Kate Johnson's avatar

Chelsea??

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