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Bates
Jun 15, 2006
Quick question - are there any arguments against polygamous marriage that's not based purely on morality? I can't readily come up with any so I'm thinking ideally we should support it like gay marriage.

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Bates
Jun 15, 2006

Triskelli posted:

How do I deal with people grilling me on where I get my information? I got a full cross-examination by a really good family friend that just outed themselves as a "Sandy-Hook was a False Flag, global warming is happening but it's not because of what Al Gore told us, my niece is a welfare queen and covered with tattoos" conservative. Normally I feel like I could handle it, as we've got a pretty healthy of mutual respect over the years, but I had three additional republicans grilling me on the "oh you don't have practical experience, can't believe everything you read, you're being brainwashed by professors, where did you hear that, have you talked to these people" on and on doing everything to dismiss my opinion out of hand. How do I deal with that? Is there a handy way or site to have information at a moments notice?
Well if you want to engage them you need them to explain exactly what they believe and why they believe it. Concrete opinion - not clichés, talking points or vague generalizations/assumptions - they have to be specific. If you get them to that point you can engage the data or lack thereof they base it on. Also it seems to be a "sceptic" you're dealing with so look at his sources and tell him why you are sceptical of them and why you are more inclined to believe your own sources. I mean these people dismiss reputable sources because it's the mainstream or sheeple or whatever but then happily gorge on random bloggers and websites some guy put up so you really got to keep beating on that disconnect. Don't be surprised if you don't get anywhere though.

Bates
Jun 15, 2006

Accretionist posted:

I need vicious attacks against this propaganda screed:

Article: Why I am a Climate Change Skeptic
From: The Heartland Institute (an out-and-out right wing propaganda mill)


So far, I have politely pointed out that it does not actually address climate change, but rather a strawman thereof. Unfortunately, climate change is outside my wheel house so I'm not sure how to really flex some verve on this one.

Well it's all over the place but the segment about declining CO2 levels should be addressed since it's as close to hard data as it gets. There's indeed less CO2 in the atmosphere today - and the sun is more luminous. If CO2 levels had not declined Earth would be a warmer today than it was then. The climate of Earth is not a function of just one factor.

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