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Here are some general rules when debating folks.

People that have no argument, but feel strongly on the subject, flee to fallacies and rhetoric and pretend that is an argument.

When you start shaking people up and make them feel insecure in their beliefs, they often attack you.

Very few people actually “think.” Formal logic is not taught in the humanities and philosophy today, not even in college for the most part. The fallacies are not taught in school. Writing skills are weak and it’s when you write that you organize your thoughts (list arguments, weight them, organize them: create an outline). In fact, today it’s so bad that people literally think their disorganized and often contradicting and incoherent feelings are reality. Bottom line, don’t expect someone to make sense when debating with them.

Issues that are popular and in the media, are reduced to slogans and decided upon by a form of group think (how the majority feels), celebrity endorsement, pseudo science, and repetition. May it be climate change, Covid, Ukraine... these issues are not really decided upon on the merits of any facts.

All issues in the political realm are distorted. These issues go through a political and economic filter and the solutions offered often do not even address the stated problem, i.e. an inflation reduction act which makes inflation worse... Politicians use issues to self promote or damage their opponents, they represent the voter but also those that behind the scene fund their party and campaigns. People look towards government to abdicate personal responsibility or culpability, but seldom does government actually fix the problem.

Risk is a wild card. An unknown risk can be sold and people will prefer that over the known risk. But it is also something which makes people shy away and prefer a far greater risk simply because they are family with it. Risk amplifies how people see things and it can cut both ways making something far better or worse than it really is.

Most people don’t care. Only a small percentage of people actually concern themselves with issues that impact their life. Most people are on cruise control and simply do as they are told, which today makes you a “good person.” Do not expect people to care, they are distracted by pop culture nonsense, porn, make belief causes, sports (only watching it, not doing any).