Talking to conservatives

[Ohiogal]

I have a number of conservative family members .... we don't talk politics much, but since I'm the lone liberal, I will sometimes overhear them say something snide about a Democrat. We'll be seeing each other in August.

One of the most tired themes I hear from them is how all liberals want to increase taxes on hard working people (meaning themselves) so they can give away more welfare and "free stuff" to lazy people who don't want to work and to immigrants who don't deserve to be here because they "jumped the line."

I got to thinking of how the 1% is defined by individuals making $400,000 a year or more. (correct me if I'm wrong on that)

Well, although my conservative family members are very comfortable, none of them make $400,000 a year.

Any liberal who wants to increase taxes for the most part only wants to increase them on the 1%, isn't that true? So if I told these complainers that, would that make a good comeback? Anyone else have any ideas in case I have to defend myself?

[C_U_L8R]

1. They are paying more

So the rich can have more toys. They’re good with that?

[Clash City Rocker]

2. You can ask them to pull out their tax returns for the last two years

Most likely they paid more this year, not less.

[treestar]

3. I've argued that their taxes

Are not contributing much to whatever they are complaining about. Probably only a few cents. Most is going to prison and military contractors and they seem to have no problem with that.

[SouthernProgressive]

4. I want to raise taxes on much more than one percent earners. Much more.

It's a necessity to get where we want to go. It has to happen if our platform is to succeed.

[Aristus]

5. You can ask them why they are happy to have their tax dollars pay for corporate subsidies.

Millions and millions of tax dollars given away to already profitable billion-dollar corporations. Why aren't they upset about that?

If anyone of them even has the presence of mind to reply "Keeping gas prices low", just say "Yeah, tell me how low gas prices are right now."

[ProudLib72]

6. They are working so that glorious leader and his cronies can play golf

I'd make up a fact sheet about how much golf Obama played versus the Rump. I wonder what they would do. Probably tear it up, but then you know the point has been made.

[griffi94]

7. You can try presenting them with facts

but that's probably not going to work.
You say they're convinced that Democrats just want to tax hard working people so lazy people can collect welfare.
That's a myth. The fact they believe that leads me to believe it doesn't matter what you do or say. They've made up their minds and they're not changing them.

It's like my liberal friends who get so angry when their conservative friends say Trump is doing a good job. To the deplorables he is doing a good job. He's punishing people they hate, he's insulting people they hate. He's an obnoxious ignorant bully and that's why they like him. Facts, logic, and reason don't enter into it so trying to use those things to reach a diehard Trump supporter is a waste of time.

My old Granddaddy was an FDR Democrat and he used to say "Boy, don't ever try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig".

[CrispyQ]

8. Print these out on 4x6 inch postcard paper & place them around the house.

Now, let's talk about those evil socialist programs we spend our taxes on.



And don't forget the good people who brought you the good things in life. Hint: It was not the CEOs & corporate boards of companies.



Other sound bites:

What is the point of a national defense budget if you don't take care of your citizens?

We have a system of privatized profits and socialized risk. We bail them out when they fail & we clean up their messes when they spill.

Tax cuts don't matter when you don't have a job.

If the richest people in the country pay more in taxes, they'll still be the richest people in the country.

An economy for the few can't last.

Good luck!


on edit: Also ask why income from labor is taxed higher than investment income. Why are the actual life hours of a person exchanged for money taxed higher than someone's money in a bank account working for them? Does that seem fair? To me it seems inhumane. Its a system that values money over labor, which is exactly what happened in this country. Love of money...

on edit 2: Oh look. More tax breaks investment income.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212226177

[DFW]

9. In such cases, you are usually up against Fox and the right wing media, not the truth

Your opponent in the argument will not even be present. Your family will just repeat made-up crap delivered by the right wing media, and your biggest problem will be that they will believe lies from Fox before they will believe truth from you.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. They don't seem to understand

that our policies would benefit them as well.

[Mariana]

11. Conservatives tend to vastly overestimate how high their taxes are.

Federal Income Tax especially. I think most of them don't understand the concept of marginal rates, so they imagine they're paying 20 some percent on all of their income from penny one.

[ScratchCat]

12. What you are experiencing is

How successful a 25+ year right wing propaganda campaign has been. This is the theme they brainwash folks with 24/7/365. It doesn't matter that these people make $25K-$35K a year, they have been convinced that ANY tax on them is only because the government has to give "free money to people who don't want to work". It essentially cognitive dissonance and a defense mechanism of sorts where they never have to accept the fact that its the people they have been voting for who are responsible for tax policy that is bad for them. But no, its "free money" for "lazy&quot read black) people that causes them to have such little money, not tax policy that favors the top 5%.

[trev]

13. I agree with griffi94.

My late parents were Rush Limbaugh-addled fanatics. They'd listen to his entire 3-hour show every day; drove me nuts to have that on in the background when I'd visit. There was no way to convince them to think other than along the Republican line. So I just made it a point not to talk politics with them. It wasn't worth ruining the relationship for something I couldn't change anyway.