by AnnaLivia » Tue Oct 04, 2005 3:16 pm
Might be you can win the debate and create/foster understanding…without having to prove the towers were imploded?<br><br>Snippets from an online friend (from CG forum) whom I have most unfortunately lost track of…who debates 9/11 truth better than anybody I have seen. This approach may help those of us who try to get the disbelieving to awaken?<br><br>My friend KT says:<br><br>I'll just run through some sample dialog. I generally prefer this opening question:<br><br>"Do you believe there is an international terrorist conspiracy threatening the USA?"<br><br>You're not "testing" them on their knowledge of 9/11, and you’re giving them a lot of leeway with such a broad introduction.<br><br>Surprisingly, MOST people will respond with some reservations, either, "Not exactly what the government is describing," or "well... I think a lot of people dislike us." If they leap right into 9/11, then, at least, THEY are the ones who appear to be bringing it up.<br><br>Discussions move from the general to specific, but, not right away. Simply rattling off all the 9/11 anomalies without laying any groundwork beforehand is completely foolish. Many people will simply dismiss it out-of-hand while confessing their ignorance:<br>"Obviously, you have read more about this than I have. (Implying...) If I spent as much time researching this, I am sure I would find out enough information to contradict you." <br><br>He has basically closed the discussion at this point. It's good not to make them look too stupid before successfully luring them into an argument, because, they'll shut you down before having to expose their stupidity.<br><br>The soft-ball nature of general questioning forces them to commit without having to offer much proof. I have been using a "set-up" introduction, which I find works very well under a variety of circumstances--especially in live debate:<br>"There are hundreds of anomalies associated with 9/11. I could sit here and rattle them all off... but I won't. I promise you, though, that you will not be able to answer any of them... not one. Not rationally, of course. I know this because the government hasn't been able to answer any of these questions, or, are unwilling to do so." <br><br>(They're at ease, somewhat... knowing you're not going to grill them on the details of 9/11.)<br>"That's right. I could lay out all these questions, and, you're just going to shrug your shoulders and say, "I dunno" to everything I say. You might have some conjectures, but that's about it."<br>(They think: yes, as YOU have nothing but conjecture, either.)<br><br>"However, I can answer ALL of these questions. That's right. Every single one of them. Right here and now. IN fact, I can answer practically every anomaly associated with 9/11, and with just two words. Ready?<br><br>Government Complicity.<br>There you go. All questions answered. Not only does this explain all the anomalies, but it also explains why the government has been caught lying, covering up, and withholding evidence."<br><br>At this point, nearly any True Believer is going to take a swing at the "Conspiracy Theorist," claiming that the government isn't capable of such a thing, or, that I'm simply wrong because I believe in Conspiracy Theories. They may even get indignant or angry here. I'll continue:<br>"Have you done a lot of reading about this?"<br>(They usually concede with, "Not as much as you.")<br>"Are you familiar with all the questions which have been raised concerning 9/11?"<br>(Usually, "No, or, "Some... kinda.")<br>"Right. All you "know" is that I am wrong, right?"<br>(Pause for dramatic effect.)<br><br>"You can't have it both ways. You can't maintain that I am wrong, while admitting to only a slim familiarity with the facts. Either you can prove me wrong or misinformed, or, you have to concede--at least--to the possibility of my conclusion."<br><br>(We're still in the world of the general, drawing him into the debate, while narrowing the discussion. You're entertaining his "conspiracy theory" by confessing to being a "conspiracy theorist," but, this will change later.)<br><br>The typical response: "It's a crazy Conspiracy Theory. Our government is not capable of such a thing."<br><br>"Not too long ago, YOUR government tried to convince the people that the North Vietnamese Army was eventually going to march into Sydney, Australia--and 57,000 Americans died for that. MacNamara and other architects of the war have admitted this. So, I know what they're capable of... in terms of body-count."<br>(Young people, especially, hate hearing about Vietnam; mainly because they know nothing about it. For people especially sensitive to this conflict---)<br>"After Iran-Contra, the CIA admitted to trafficking in drugs... lots of drugs. Do you think they have stopped this?"<br><br>(Of course, you don't want to debate these issues, but, neither does he. You're simply trying to show the difficulty of excluding the Government from the Suspect List.)<br><br>This is usually the point where I decide to get a little angry, because it's right before THEY usually get a little angry. (If you sense weakness, striking first with anger can really work for you.) Their predictable response:<br>"Yeah... but, you don't KNOW. This is all a theory of yours. You have no proof."<br><br>It may seem that we've taken the long road to get to this question, but, it was all necessary. They aren't going to jump into a discussion of the 9/11 Anomalies all by themselves... you've got to push them over the edge and into it all. They may often try to bag-out of the whole thing at this point, with the often-used: "I don't like debating this. Let's talk about something else." This is even better. I love it when they signal retreat, because it's license to turn up the heat with a good rant:<br><br>"First of all, this isn't a debate, because you clearly do NOT KNOW YOUR SHIT! If you think crying, "Conspiracy Theory! Conspiracy Theory" is any sort of "debate," then, we obviously went to different school systems. You think you can sit there and pick my brain for what I KNOW about 9/11, give you a run-down on the factual evidence PROVING government complicity, while you just pull crazy explanations and excuses out of your ass? This isn't some fucking WORD GAME or Logic Puzzle you read in the back of a magazine."<br><br>(The rant has just started. They are nervous, and will almost invariably try to smirk, or make some ridiculous remark. Now, I get personal. This shuts them up.)<br><br>"What's so fucking funny? Did I say something funny, or, do you think this is all some sort of joke? Because, I'M not laughing. You think there's something funny about 9/11, I'd really like to hear it now!"<br>(This usually settles them down. They may attempt to speak. Cut them off.)<br><br>"This isn't a debate about 9/11. You don't KNOW enough to debate me about 9/11. All you're doing is name-calling and trying to disguise the fact that you haven't taken the time to research anything beyond what you've been spoon-fed by Laurie Dew and Time Magazine. Vietnam was a "Government Conspiracy." Iran-Contra was a "Government Conspiracy." You want to debate those topics? No? Then, YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT about government conspiracies, either! Still think I don't know what I'm talking about, well, guess what? It doesn't matter what I believe, or, what I know: BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT!<br><br>There's only one thing on the table for discussion. ONE thing. And, it's not some crazy "Government Conspiracy Theory." We're talking about the Government's explanation of 9/11. That's ALL we're talking about. And, surrounding this governmental explanation, this "Theory" of theirs, are hundreds of unanswered questions. Questions which ALL point towards government involvement and cover-up! THAT'S what we're discussing. You think I "don't know shit" about all this? Fine. Let's say I DON'T know shit--the POINT IS that you've decided to accept the government's theory at face value, that you choose not only to avoid asking any serious questions, but, to automatically oppose anyone else who may decide to raise these questions--and YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW SHIT about these events.<br> <br>Getting it now? We're talking about YOUR government, YOUR decision to accept their explanations, YOUR understanding of these events, and YOUR willingness to (God forbid) ask any questions concerning what happened on that day! It's not about ME, and it's NOT about what I believe."<br><br>(Repeating myself for emphasis.)<br>"So, we're not talking about having a "debate" here, OK? That's not going to happen, because you have nothing to debate WITH, except the word of George W., Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rice, and the rest of them--and, unless they start releasing some of that "Mountain of Evidence" connecting Al Qaeda with 9/11--until THAT wonderful day, when the government FINALLY decides to answer these questions--which thousands of people are asking--then, I'm not simply going to take their word at face value.<br><br>So, there isn't going to be a debate, but, we can have a discussion, if, of course, the subject matter is at all "Interesting" to you, because, I really don't want to bore you at this point. We could be talking about Lindsay Lohan's tits, or Michael Jackson's magazine collection, or, what-the-fuck-ever is happening with Brad and Jen... so, please, don't let me MAKE THE GOD-AWFUL IMPARDONABLE SOCIAL SIN OF PERHAPS BORING YOU WITH ANY OF THIS SHIT CONCERNING 9/11!!"<br><br>Of course, in a discussion board, I would post this in pieces. In live debate, it takes about ten minutes, which is brief enough. The "Rant" ending can be tailored for the situation. If they simply repeat themselves, I tell them to stop repeating. Don't put any "theories" of yours on the table at first. Always focus on the government's "theories," the government's explanation. I tend to come out pretty strong against the "Conspiracy Accusation," because it is their only card, in most cases. If you can get beyond that, then, you can approach some of the specifics of the events, but trying to "prove" government complicity from the outset by claiming that the South Tower fell in 9.4 seconds, or, some other such "proof," is going to get you nowhere. The conspiracy-thing really has to be addressed.<br><br>This is how I try to "maximize my facts," by treating them as important information, which isn't simply thrown around to "win an argument." <br><br>snip<br><br>They want to draw you out into a discussion of remote-control planes or something, so they can simply say, "Well, I don't believe that." If someone doesn't know the facts, they are going to want to shift the discussion into the realm of conjecture as soon as possible. <br><br>Don't take that leap. Stay focused and remember that the discussion is about the GOVERNMENT'S "Conspiracy Theory," not yours. You want to know WHY people (such as your opponent) would believe the government. You want to know WHY the government hasn't released any information. You want to know WHY the government has been lying about this. Stay objective, but, remember that his shouting "Conspiracy Theory" is a personal attack: he's calling you a "Kook," so, at this point, make it personal.<br><br>Ask him if he believes EVERYTHING the government says.<br>Ask him if the government suddenly switched to "Truth Mode" simply because we're in an armed conflict. <br>If he's joking around, ask him, "What's funny?"<br>If he seems distracted, ask him, "Am I boring you?"<br>Ask him if he takes any of this seriously.<br><br>Reserve your rants for moments when he is obviously trying to "get away with something," such as pretending to know something he obviously doesn't, or trying to minimize the significance of the event.<br>Here's one of my very favorite rants, which can be used at either high or low-volume, in response to the most foolish retort of them all:<br>"Yeah, OK... it all sucks, but, I can't do anything about it, and, neither can you, so, what's the point of debating it?"<br><br>Response:<br>"There doesn't seem to be much you can do to effect the outcome of the Superbowl, either. But, you'll spend days on-end discussing that newsworthy event. Perhaps, while you and your friends are screaming and yelling about which team should or shouldn't win, I'll just interject with,"Yes, but, none of you can change the outcome of the game, so, do we really have to talk about this?" Wonder how welcome I'd be in THAT discussion? Or, maybe, all of you would look at me like I was a complete IDIOT for saying something so completely foolish!" <br><br>This works well. I use it a lot, too.<br><br> <p></p><i></i>