Have you ever actually been persuaded/persuaded someone else in an argument?

[Donerail]

On the issues aforementioned, succinctly, my shifting positions were something like these:


Reduce human population --> woman's choice --> discourage third-trimester abortions

Pro-affirmative action --> anti-affirmative action --> wavering in-between --> repeat twice

Spy on suspected enemies of the Revolution --> protect privacy --> balance privacy and security

Confiscate all guns --> heavily regulate guns --> lightly regulate --> moderately regulate

Protectionist / neo-mercantilist --> strictly fair trade --> mostly free trade --> moderately fair trade

Crush religion and archaic customs --> preserve threatened cultures --> mixed stance

America! [INKS] YEAH! --> immediate withdrawal --> gradual, phased withdrawal

Very steeply progressive taxes --> high flat tax with large "prebate" --> steeply progressive taxes

Can we have Redalgo v. 2.5 (bolded) back? I rather like that one.

[Donerail]

As to the second one, very frequently. High schoolers do not have strong opinions about economics or foreign policy (as opposed to social policy like abortion or gay marriage) and are therefore very willing to listen to someone they trust who does, like me. When politics is discussed in my clique, it usually comes down to me saying something and everyone agreeing. I am a rather persuasive person in real life (I recall a rather heated argument about Libya with my English teacher, where I was actually against intervention and she was for it, where I managed to convince the entire class that Gaddafi was preferable to the rebels, and f**k the mainstream media).

This is true. I take great joy in doing this to other students sometimes. I could probably get a large portion of the class to cite Hayek and von Mises as their favorite economists if I told them they were; I did get a couple people to believe Gaddafi was the King of Egypt for a while too.

[Donerail]

Your only missing one point - Vosem (and sjoyceflorida) mention that these simpletons they led astray trusted them.  Even the most ignorant person can be a good judge of character with a little life experience - for example, I should think that it would be obvious to most people they couldn't trust someone like Vosem, or sjoyceflorida, or Romney - even without knowing they were being lied to they could sense or suspect it. 

I managed to get half of my English class to start a political chant today (Rom-Ney! Rom-Ney! Rom-Ney!). They're so apathetic, it's worrying.

[Donerail]

Your only missing one point - Vosem (and sjoyceflorida) mention that these simpletons they led astray trusted them.  Even the most ignorant person can be a good judge of character with a little life experience - for example, I should think that it would be obvious to most people they couldn't trust someone like Vosem, or sjoyceflorida, or Romney - even without knowing they were being lied to they could sense or suspect it. 

I managed to get half of my English class to start a political chant today (Rom-Ney! Rom-Ney! Rom-Ney!). They're so apathetic, it's worrying.

Not sure apathetic is the word.  I think they must have some psychological problems or at least 'bad upbringing'.  After all, one may be a nihilist or too lazy to even consider anything, but anyone's 'gut', who has a 'gut', would know not to listen to the likes of you.  Don't you agree?

What it seems to me is that they 'have bigger issues', like the Kardashians and such, to give a damn about anything political, and since I actually follow politics (I'm the only one who wears a 'Castor for Congress' shirt to school or anything) it seems like they're just "Okay, so he's good? Okay. I'll support him. Check out this music. Did you hear what happened with Carly Rae Jepsen?"

[Donerail]

What it seems to me is that they 'have bigger issues', like the Kardashians and such, to give a damn about anything political, and since I actually follow politics (I'm the only one who wears a 'Castor for Congress' shirt to school or anything) it seems like they're just "Okay, so he's good? Okay. I'll support him. Check out this music. Did you hear what happened with Carly Rae Jepsen?"

You go to school with the Kardashians?

With people who care about whatever they do.