Pensions or Teachers?

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

That's what's known as the Limbaugh Effect. If you are loud enough, insistent enough, and successful in making people angry, a certain percentage of the world's lemmings will follow you no matter how irrational you may be. It worked for Hitler; it worked for Saddam Hussein, and it's currently working for the ayatollahs of the American Taliban as well. Look at how many misguided people and radio stations bought into Harold Camping's claim that the world would end last Saturday. That's why money buys elections: most people's brains are up for sale.

Hitler comparisons typically add more weight to one's statements so I'm told.

[AndyV]

It seems that people struggle to argue on the merit of their own logic or experience but need to either cite less than particularly useful examples or get personal. I could dig back for more specificity but here is a perhaps over simplified example:
1. I put forth that public sector unions are problematic.
2. The response went after me personally rather than the idea.
My conclusion: The responder is too emotionally tied into the subject to effectively argue the pros and cons. He/she is attached to a platform, or template if you prefer, and anything that doesn't fit, or agree, is either ignorant or irrelevant.