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Richard Tavares Bosshardt's avatar

Jeff, I agree with you in principle that this might be an effective way to approach those who ideology/belief/politics do not conform to our own. I am a strong advocate of (almost) unfettered free speech with common sense boundaries and civil discourse and debate. It might work with those with whom we share some common values. This approach, however, is wholely ineffective when dealing with zealots who truly believe they are doing God's work, whose world view is nihilistic, who seek and embrace death and view martyrdom as the ultimate good, who do not value human life, who do not value even their own fellow believers and countrymen, and who see world domination or, failing that, world annihilation as a goal to be sought by any means. If we do not fight back and destroy such as they, we will not survive as a society.

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Steve's avatar

I think it's also important to go into these discussions without the assumption that your views are automatically correct. I came away from this article with the impression the author feels he's always on the right side of things and this was more of a guide on "how to sway people to your point of view" instead of an actual path toward discussion and mutual learning and understanding. It's not always about making converts.

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