Calling People Racist, Sexist And Bigoted Doesn't Actually Work
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Politics and Activism

Calling People Racist, Sexist And Bigoted Doesn't Actually Work

In fact, it hurts your cause.

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Calling People Racist, Sexist And Bigoted Doesn't Actually Work
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Godwin's law states, "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

It seems that today, it doesn't take an online discussion very long at all for the comparison of Nazism to emerge, particularly if the discussion is about Donald Trump. Sure, the reason these comparisons are made are fair, though heavily misguided, but what purpose do they serve? It seems as if these comparisons are made to fear monger or to paint supporters as Nazis themselves, dismissing any argument a supporter may have in favor of the candidate.

Unfortunately, as the Brexit vote proved, calling people racist, xenophobic, Nazis or any other word that brings upon negative connotations simply doesn't work as a tactic to persuade others to believe in your cause. In fact in some cases, it affirms their beliefs because it proves that the only weapon detractors have is to call others names, rather than facts and evidence-based statements.

This could also explain why during the Brexit vote, polls indicated more often than not that Remain would win when in reality Leave came out on top. Those who supported leaving the EU were likely to tell voters that they opposed it, which was the much more socially acceptable answer. This is a phenomenon known as the Bradley effect.

Perhaps the reason the Bradley effect was observed regarding Brexit was because of the vicious names and buzzwords that the opposition rained down on supporters. Instead of offering reasonable, evidence-based facts for why Leave would be a bad idea, the majority of the vocal opposition, particularly online, resorted to calling supporters, Islamophobic racists.

Could this explain why Donald Trump consistently trails behind Hillary Clinton in polls? Perhaps. No one wants to support a candidate who is unfairly called a Nazi due to societal norms.

Additionally, it's still too early to tell how the election could play out, considering we haven't yet witnessed the Democratic National Convention. When we are able to solidify the party's platform, see who Clinton will choose as Vice-President, and hear what case Democrats will make for Clinton, we may see more accurate polling numbers.

In the meanwhile, stop calling people who support things you disagree with bigoted, racist, sexist, misogynistic, Islamophobic, homophobic, transphobic, and finally, Nazis.

Use facts to support your arguments instead.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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