Monday, August 22, 2016

The Art Of Persuasion

Time Magazine has an article by a social psychologist that says that liberals are somewhat more influenced by scientific research while conservatives are more influenced by their perceived  view of the mob.
“Our research shows that, in forming social judgments, both liberals and conservatives rely on consensus cues from a neutral ‘out-group,’ such as scientists, which often acts as a ‘gateway’ to shaping other key personal beliefs,” van der Linden said. “However, at the same time, a large body of social-psychological work, including our own, also finds that conservatives typically value adherence to social norms and social conformity more than liberals.”
Hence we see the liberal argument for climate change as "the science is settled" and the position for more gun control running to "95% of Americans favor stricter gun laws."

If the science were settled, no one would be doing any further research on the subject. If 90+% of Americans wanted more gun control, the legislation would get whooped through the legislatures with very little notice from the press or anyone else. Also no pol would ever lose his or her job for supporting it.

If as Scott Adams says, identity is the best persuader, the winning approach for the anti-greenies would be to paint the greens as cave-dwelling Luddites, and for us to associate the anti-gunners with the German gun control laws of 1938 and the subsequent Holocaust. Yes, I know, Godwins Law and all that, so how about Jim Crow and the Black Codes from the post civil war era. Might be a better fit as it's the same party trying to disarm its enemies now as it was then.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"the winning approach for the anti-greenies would be to paint the greens as cave-dwelling Luddites, and for us to associate the anti-gunners with the German gun control laws of 1938 and the subsequent Holocaust."

You right-wingers have been doing those things for decades.

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

Billll said...

The problem is that when you paint a cave-dwelling Luddite as a cave-dwelling Luddite or a wannabe tyrannical Socialist as a wannabe tyrannical Socialist, a lot of the effect is lost, especially on people who can't see the problem with either of them.

Anonymous said...

the winning approach for the anti-greenies would be to paint the greens as cave-dwelling Luddites, and for us to associate the anti-gunners with the German gun control laws of 1938 and the subsequent Holocaust” (Billll, 08/22/2016).


The problem is that when you paint a cave-dwelling Luddite as a cave-dwelling Luddite or a wannabe tyrannical Socialist as a wannabe tyrannical Socialist, a lot of the effect is lost” (Billll, 08/24/2016).


So your suggestion for “the winning approach” is to do something where “a lot of the effect is lost”?!

That doesn't sound anything at all like a "winning approach" to persuasion. Maybe it's time you guys try something different, rather than doing the same thing over-and-over again for decades and expecting different results.

Anonymous said...

"If 90+% of Americans wanted more gun control"

In the year 2000, Colorado voters approved background checks at gun shows, 70% to 30%.

In 2014, voters in Washington state approved universal background checks for gun purchases, 60% to 40%.

Maybe 90% of Americans don't want more gun control. But when measures are put to the ballot, a majority clearly do.

Anonymous said...

> Maybe 90% of Americans don't want more gun control.
> But when measures are put to the ballot, a majority clearly do.


A poll commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows likely Republican voters in Nevada opposing the background check ballot measure 49-39 percent.

Support among Democratic voters surged to 73 percent, the poll shows. Only 20 percent opposed and 7 percent “didn’t know.”

Overall, 58 percent of the 800 likely voters surveyed supported Question 1 and 32 percent opposed. Another 12 percent didn’t know or didn’t answer.

“In this case, the Democrats are for it and the Republicans are kind of split, which means it’s going to pass unless the Republicans go against it,” said Anthony Williams, special projects director of Bendixen & Amandi International, in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal published Monday.


www.guns.com/2016/10/04/republicans-split-on-nevadas-question-1-poll-finds/

You gun owners can't even persuade Republicans!