New Series // Conversations with Leftists

Ok, so most people hate getting into debates on the Internet - I love it, call me a sado-masochist if you have to.

If I can explain my motivation, however - I choose to engage online because I think too often we default the culture to the loudest faction, which these days, is the left side of the political aisle - the ones currently helming the media, academia, and many governments across the world. This hegemony seeps into the broader society, and before you know it - friends, family, whole communities… are walking lockstep to the beat of a drum you know they likely wouldn’t have, had the other side been represented by equally loud voices.

The most productive way to fight this cultural tide is in person, in my opinion. Too often, we discount the power of having a friend or couple over for dinner or drinks, and having meaningful conversations. But for these conversations, if we have the so-called unmitigated gall to bring up politics or philosophy at dinnertime (and one must be careful to be tactful in these situations), we must be prepared. And it’s in that interest that I sometimes pursue these bouts of digital sparring.

It’s a good training ground. We must endeavour to not fall into the all-too-easy-to-fall-in-to trap of rude, insulting, online trash-talk, but nevertheless, if one can remain largely respectful, arguing in good faith, I maintain that it is a fruitful place to practice the conversations that are becoming more and more necessary as politics unfortunately takes a more and more prevalent place in our lives.

Sometimes, these online conversations are not very productive, and you can usually get a sense of that pretty early on in the argument. Yet other times, if both parties are discussing in good faith, these conversations can be some of the most fertile ground for changing minds outside of face-to-face.

I wanted to begin sharing those conversations, in the spirit of sharing ideas, with the hopes that you may get a better idea of how to engage (and how not to engage! ;) with those who might disagree, by watching me stumble my way through real-world examples.

So with that in mind, here’s the first instalment of Conversations with Leftists, A Discussion on Texas’ Abortion Bill.