Very nice, Wil: A mostly peaceful resolution to an out-of-bounds confrontation. I hope I'm as sane this weekend. Similar situation, but it's my older brothers and stepfather who can't seem to stop "Spin"ing, which leads to a technicolor regurgitation of the bile they've swallowed.

I've given up fighting the big issues -- it's easier and more productive just to take a nice long walk -- but when this so-called "War on Christmas" came up at Thanksgiving, I tried, gently, to probe exactly who is being denied the right to celebrate Christmas? And did they know what American group had succeeded in banning Christmas (the Puritans), and why? And why, exactly, did they experience such heartfelt reverence for Roman Saturnalia and Nordic winter holiday symbols?

But something ugly happened...so I took a nice long walk. The sun was shining.

The best you can do is make it your life's mission to identify people who may be about to lose part of their critical thinking ability to the seductive, patriotic-sounding blather of talk radio (or any other type of reprogramming).

Before they've defined themselves as a pod person, take them out to lunch and after some polite conversation, launch into the no-spin talking point of the day by starting from a position of mutual agreement, and in the same breath lay out counter arguments that follow from there. Depending on the relationship, it may be harder to do with someone like a parent than a peer, but if you catch someone early enough in their indoctrination, a concerted effort and a series of gentle, well reasoned discussions should be very effective -- especially if you have a mutual friend who can help.

In my life, I've turned back three people who have Democratic values at heart but had waded into Green or Republican waters and were probably headed for the deep end. Big Lies by Joe Conason is a great source for anyone who wants to try it.

Jason

Gosh Will,

It's been getting to me so bad that I wrote this letter to the editor at my hometown newspaper, that coincidentally, appeared today:

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051222/OPINION03/512220323/1014

I don't know what will happen at Christmas Dinner, but I am so tired of the abuse I get for just having a different opinion. We really need more people speaking up. We gotta break through the denial some way.

Keep it up!

Is it any surprise that so many of the drug-addled, radically left-wing (and thus, disillusion-prone), ethically simplistic, and profoundly self-absorbed baby boomers eventually transformed into Reagan Republicans? This was a generation prone, for one reason or another, to radicalism, and today's dominant counter-counter-culture, I think, is partially a reflection of that. Thankfully, today's youth are being raised on a progressivism that is both principled and pragmatic, shrewdly realistic on the political battlefield and profoundly aware of the B.S. tactics conveyed through an archaic media, and that, hopefully, will keep us from committing our parent's mistakes. Namely, going through life trading one unrealistic, simplified ideal for another, always looking for the next political rock star to promise a revolution, be it the People's or Reagan's or O'Reilly's. My parents emigrated from Sweden in the 80's and were aghast at Reagan's politics, so, though I'm technically the 'conservative' of the family (meaning I supported Dean over Kucinich), I don't have this problem on the holidays. However, for those who do, I wouldn't be so quick to lament your parent's abandonment of the 'cause'. There was no Machiavellian conspiracy to corrupt the baby boomers. Rather, given the culture they emerged from, the alliance of the disillusioned ex-liberals, the paleoconservatives, and the fundamentalists was an inevitability.

(great essay by the way, thanks Wil)

The same thing happened with me and my best friend. Once an open-minded, free spirit; now a bigoted, condescending, hate-mongering beast. We've known each other more than two decades, but can no longer have a conversation.

Here's what I think happens: A big difference between liberal thinkers and hard-core conservatives seems to be in having the ego-strength to do two things: First, to ask the question, "wait, what if *I'm* wrong about (issue x)?" and second, to sustain one's (possibly unpopular) opinions in the absence of validation by one's peers.

I think screamers like O'Reilly have observed this, and exploit those otherwise admirable traits by repeatedly appealing to primal emotions like fear, envy, and the need for belonging, which then induces some otherwise rational thinkers (perhaps in an unguarded moment) to begin the self-questioning process. Rather like brainwashing -- the talkers wear down listeners' defenses by repeating the same arguments over and over, while simultaneously undermining listeners' self-confidence and sense of safety.

So, go around yelling about terrorists and crime and feminists and immigrants threatening our way of life long enough, some of us will start to wonder if we're part of the problem. Because we, too, love our country and our families and our personal safety, and we, too, have much to lose. We too, want tribal belonging and approval. Under duress, we want it that much more.

I've had any number of moments when I've heard an almost-rational argument from the right and -- because I like to consider myself intellectually flexible -- thought, "well, s/he's got a point..." only to shake myself out of it a moment later, slightly horrified.

So I imagine it just takes a moment of emotional/intellectual weakness for some people to buckle. The intellectual validation offered by these people toward those who adopt their attitudes is frequent, generous and loud. It feels good to go from intellectual tension and occasional self-doubt to a sense of good and righteous certainty (not to mention the satisfaction of indulging one's darker, maybe unacknowledged prejudices under cover of pristine ideology).

And because of the all-or-nothing, nuance-free nature of the fringe right's arguments, a small sip of ideological Kool-Aid quickly leads to the intravenous delivery system. Could be a booming business for deprogrammers in the coming decade, no?

Really nice article, thank you so much.

I think we have to fight this stuff with aggressive mockery. I tell my brother I can't discuss events with him because when things go bad for Bush, all he hears about on Fox is missing white women. Call them on it when they start spouting Rush talking points. We need a catchy acronym - something like RWPV - Right Wing Propoganda Victim. Okay, thats not catchy, but you get the idea. Name it, box it up, make it embarrassing.

As a self absorbed drug addled boomer, I had these holiday interrupting fights about Viet Nam, but, as with your family, there was enough love that we got over them. (And yes, I am still a commie-pinko, thank you very much)