A friend says she found the mute button a blessing during her Zoom meetings with college classmates from the 1950’s. The first time somebody asks How are you?, the conversation turns to the Oh my aching back stories that seem to go on forever. Being old is one thing, she said, but talking about being old gets old really fast.
We had a meeting of all the “gang:” from our childhood neighborhood. As the initiator of the call, I made the rules: no political discussions AND I can mute anyone I want.
I have encountered an interesting development over the last few days. While i eschew reactionaries and radicals, my friends and members of my family range from liberals through conservatives (REAL conservatives, not the reactionaries who abused the conservatives and moderates of the Republican Party by pretending to just be a different flavor of conservative like the Nazis did to German conservatives in the 1930s before they turned on them, too).
Recently, conservative friends are asking me what I suggest that they can do. They are seeing big problems but feeling lost because they can not correct big problems.
So, to others who have not yet asked anyone each of these questions but are wondering about them:
Rediscover the main stream media and follow more than one station or one paper. It has to fact check; retractions indicate responsibility. If you don’t encounter fact checking then try others instead. Undermining trust in the media is one of the major tools of dictators.
Not ready yet? Then begin with non-partisan fact checkers. The two very best are probably Politifact and Fact Check:
https://www.politifact.com/
https://www.factcheck.org/
The other really important thing you can do is something that good parents do all the time. In fact, one of the people who asked me is among the best parents I know.
You set limits, realize when those lines are being dragged too far, express displeasure about and to those who try to manipulate your limits and you decry the public figures who do so. It seems small, but it really adds up when a lot of people do it consistently. It was the major tool set when liberals set limits on radicals in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although it takes time and vigilance, it works.
When you talk with friends and with family typically the problem is the message rather than the messenger, so judge the situation and phrase your wording accordingly.
You can turn off the radio or tv stations when they put on reactionary talking heads, and let their advertisers know that you will purchase from their competitors because they finance reactionaries.
Be aware that it is easy to just flow along with things you are hearing instead of thinking about them. The written word gives you a better chance to pause and realize when an argument is illogical or manipulative. You owe such critical examination to yourself and to our nation.
When a friend or family member expresses support for a reactionary you can express displeasure about the reactionary being supported. It does not have to be a long statement or an angry one. It needs to be firm.
You can refuse to vote for politicians who are reactionary or to enable reactionary candidates. If you want, you can vote outside your party based on what you learn about candidates and their voting history (rather than promises which are often self-contradictory hot air). Otherwise, you can simply withhold your vote from the bad candidates and vote only for others. You do not need to vote on every row of a ballot.
When enough people tackle the small problems then usually the large problems can be avoided; that is not always true, but usually it is.
“The silence of good people is more dangerous than the brutality of bad people.” Martin Luther King
sevaar777 over 3 years ago
Can’t wait for the MAGAt Zoom button sending virtual death threats to people who don’t want facism like they do.
sandpiper over 3 years ago
A friend says she found the mute button a blessing during her Zoom meetings with college classmates from the 1950’s. The first time somebody asks How are you?, the conversation turns to the Oh my aching back stories that seem to go on forever. Being old is one thing, she said, but talking about being old gets old really fast.
dflak over 3 years ago
We had a meeting of all the “gang:” from our childhood neighborhood. As the initiator of the call, I made the rules: no political discussions AND I can mute anyone I want.
Michael G. over 3 years ago
I own the apparatus. NOT the other way round.
MuddyUSA Premium Member over 3 years ago
So I guess an initiator of a Zoom get together can also be a dictator!
SukieCrandall Premium Member over 3 years ago
1 of 2
I have encountered an interesting development over the last few days. While i eschew reactionaries and radicals, my friends and members of my family range from liberals through conservatives (REAL conservatives, not the reactionaries who abused the conservatives and moderates of the Republican Party by pretending to just be a different flavor of conservative like the Nazis did to German conservatives in the 1930s before they turned on them, too).
Recently, conservative friends are asking me what I suggest that they can do. They are seeing big problems but feeling lost because they can not correct big problems.
So, to others who have not yet asked anyone each of these questions but are wondering about them:
Rediscover the main stream media and follow more than one station or one paper. It has to fact check; retractions indicate responsibility. If you don’t encounter fact checking then try others instead. Undermining trust in the media is one of the major tools of dictators.
Not ready yet? Then begin with non-partisan fact checkers. The two very best are probably Politifact and Fact Check:
https://www.politifact.com/
https://www.factcheck.org/
The other really important thing you can do is something that good parents do all the time. In fact, one of the people who asked me is among the best parents I know.
You set limits, realize when those lines are being dragged too far, express displeasure about and to those who try to manipulate your limits and you decry the public figures who do so. It seems small, but it really adds up when a lot of people do it consistently. It was the major tool set when liberals set limits on radicals in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although it takes time and vigilance, it works.
When you talk with friends and with family typically the problem is the message rather than the messenger, so judge the situation and phrase your wording accordingly.
SukieCrandall Premium Member over 3 years ago
2 of 2
You can turn off the radio or tv stations when they put on reactionary talking heads, and let their advertisers know that you will purchase from their competitors because they finance reactionaries.
Be aware that it is easy to just flow along with things you are hearing instead of thinking about them. The written word gives you a better chance to pause and realize when an argument is illogical or manipulative. You owe such critical examination to yourself and to our nation.
When a friend or family member expresses support for a reactionary you can express displeasure about the reactionary being supported. It does not have to be a long statement or an angry one. It needs to be firm.
You can refuse to vote for politicians who are reactionary or to enable reactionary candidates. If you want, you can vote outside your party based on what you learn about candidates and their voting history (rather than promises which are often self-contradictory hot air). Otherwise, you can simply withhold your vote from the bad candidates and vote only for others. You do not need to vote on every row of a ballot.
When enough people tackle the small problems then usually the large problems can be avoided; that is not always true, but usually it is.
“The silence of good people is more dangerous than the brutality of bad people.” Martin Luther King
mistercatworks over 3 years ago
I rarely go to the trouble of arranging a video conference with people I don’t want to hear. But then, I’m not deaf.
Sailor46 USN 65-95 over 3 years ago
Life would be much easier if it had a mute button.