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Comment by rfrank | Hacker News Reader

Criticize them all you want, but keep in mind your goal. Do you care about changing their minds, political/social polarization in the US, etc? If so, criticizing them would be a very stupid thing to do. Especially considering the GOP is the strongest its been from a local to national level since the 1920s.

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You can't change a closed mind. Trump can say the sky is green and his followers will agree.

Then just skip to violence and stop wasting time? You can absolutely change closed minds, and I don't think most of those people's minds are as closed as you perceive them to be.

I'm not advocating violence. You can't have a rational discussion with people who believe the universe is 6000 years old.

Violence is usually the outcome when political discussion breaks down. So if your belief that discussion with Trump supporters is impossible is true, it would seem like time to hop to it.

Violence is not the only possible outcome when political discussion breaks down.

Would you elaborate on other possible outcomes?

Winning elections. Peaceful protest. Separation. Apathy. Waiting. Acceptance.

Winning elections and peaceful protest are not breakdowns of political process. They're part of it. As are waiting and acceptance/apathy. What separation has come about that hasn't been violent?

Czechoslowakia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_Czechoslovakia

Unfortunately we have Yugoslavia as counter example, it started off well but ended up extremely bloody.

Thanks! It's always good to be able to know when absolutes should be avoided (as they so often are).

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