I’ve noticed that talking to people that some common tropes seem to come up when topics like socialism come up.
Basically I hear a lot of defense of capitalism that boils down to capitalism is good because “I personally benefit”. As well as “I’ve heard bad things about socialism”, ie taxes are too high in countries with good healthcare and social programs.
I wanted to know if other people have these issues come up in conversation and if people more well spoken than me have a way of getting through the road blocks and have some easy starting points for discussing things with people.
I feel like propaganda and fear mongering have placed a divide that make talking about things harder
From a logical standpoint, I think sticking to fundamentals and, like Cowbee says, letting common sense do some legwork is a good approach.
There are so many learned misconceptions whether through propaganda or simple ignorance. I really think the best way to combat it is by explaining them away one by one, building from fundamental concepts on up.
Like the other day I realized a lot of people think communism or a social economic structure means everyone “makes” the same amount, regardless of labor. I thought this at one point. Conveying the correct concepts may seem straightforward from a socialist understanding, but there can be so much more to clear up along the way for a person that has never thought into it at any level.
Again, as Cowbee points out, the sensible analysis will show through, and I think it’s finding a good approach to conveying that analysis that is so hard. As with teaching anything, a good grasp of the person’s worldview/values/beliefs is key to walking through that analysis in an effective way for them to digest. The secondary issue is having a good enough grasp on it yourself to connect the dots that you might find intuitive or take for granted, which someone else does not.
I’m kind of obsessed with the “theory of understanding”, for lack of a better term, so I hope I didn’t ramble too much. Thinking about thinking is fun lol.
Where do correct ideas come from? is a good text on how we come to understand things, as well as OPPOSE BOOK WORSHIP.
It was kind of an epiphany in my understanding when I realized that “the market” is not exclusive to capitalism and has existed as long as goods exchange and that communism, doesn’t mean ignoring market forces or value.