Comments on: Don’t take that tone of voice with me, mister! The new rule for political debate and news coverage. http://www.skepticrats.com/2009/10/21/dont-take-that-tone-of-voice-with-me-mister-the-new-rule-for-political-debate-and-news-coverage/ You expect us to believe that? Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:01:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: NeoLibertarianDotCom http://www.skepticrats.com/2009/10/21/dont-take-that-tone-of-voice-with-me-mister-the-new-rule-for-political-debate-and-news-coverage/comment-page-1/#comment-1019 NeoLibertarianDotCom Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:24:02 +0000 http://www.skepticrats.com/?p=2465#comment-1019 I think this is actually an under-discussed part of Alinskyism. The polarization that Alinskyism wants comes from the obvious path of painting your opponents as extreme but it also comes from white-washing your own group's extremism. This makes it much easier for moderates to migrate to your position through use of a classic negotiating tactic: when you seek to make one position appear untenable, you also provide an easy, and face saving, alternative to make it easier for people to come to your side. Thus I disagree that this is the result of a thin skinned or inexperienced administration not being able to take criticism: this is Alinsky tactics at a level of ruthlessness and sophistication far above what we have seen from the Left before. I think this is actually an under-discussed part of Alinskyism. The polarization that Alinskyism wants comes from the obvious path of painting your opponents as extreme but it also comes from white-washing your own group’s extremism. This makes it much easier for moderates to migrate to your position through use of a classic negotiating tactic: when you seek to make one position appear untenable, you also provide an easy, and face saving, alternative to make it easier for people to come to your side.

Thus I disagree that this is the result of a thin skinned or inexperienced administration not being able to take criticism: this is Alinsky tactics at a level of ruthlessness and sophistication far above what we have seen from the Left before.

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