How Do You Talk Politics With Senior Citizen Republicans?

[ludwigb]

Yesterday I was talking about Iraq/Iran with a older colleague (prolly in early 70s). He's one of those guys that has a portable radio he listens to all day. When I brought up how the potential attack on Iran would lead to an unpredictable war over a huge terrain against a people (like the Afghans) with a history of independence, he came up with all the usual conventional arguments about how we have to "do it sooner or later", that we need the oil, that the invasion of Iraq was completely justified, etc.

I'm not one to disrespect my elders, but I don't like to allow this kind of talk to go unchecked. Still, it can be difficult to rebut people who believe experience entitles them to greater knowledge.

Can anyone suggest useful strategies for future encounters?

[porphyrian]

1. It takes patience I don't have and respect they haven't necessarily earned. - n/t

[Warpy]

6. Exactly. Besides, it's cruel to try to

budge them at that age. It's just not worth it to try to get a pig to sing grand opera, you know.

"You're just wrong about that," is all you need to say, and let that end it. If a harangue ensues, just walk away, come back later and ask if s/he is done. S/he will get the point.

Some people are lost causes, and an oldster with a radio stapled to his ear is one of them. Just cut your losses and move on. Some people do get older without getting any wiser, you know.

[babylonsister]

2. I don't. The expression 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' applies.

At least imo.

[hobbit709]

3. I try to avoid Kool-aid drinkers of any age.

[azmouse]

4. I've found that I can't talk politics with them.

I know an older woman in her early 80's. She's actually proud of having her pic taken with Raygun and the chimp. She thinks war in Iraq was justified.

I no longer will discuss politics with her. She's too old to change.

[phantom power]

5. In my experience you can't win that game.

I've had plenty of conversations like that with older right-wingers. On those occasions when I successfully answer all their talking points, I get a brief moment of a blank state while they undergo cognitive dissonance, and then they just say something equivalent to "we'll agree to disagree."

They aren't interested in changing their opinions.

[ceile]

7. Nod and smile and move along.

My ex-stepdad is one of those and there is nothing you can say to talk them 'round.

[Rosemary2205]

8. I don't engage the elderly about religion or politics either one.

If they bring it up then I show that I hear and understand the words coming out of their mouths and then let it go. I'm not afraid to say I disagree and leave it at that. The only time I will disrespect an elderly person is if they are a personal danger to themselves or the people around them. --- Such as fighting with my father in law about whether he should drive or not.

[Ian David]

9. Tell them you're going to smother them with a pillow while they're asleep...

because their death is inevitable, we need to "do it sooner or later," we need their bed for someone else, so it's completely justified.

[4morewars]

15. That'll teach him !

Really, that's a gteat answer.
Applying his own logic and standards on him !

I'll bet his head would explode if anyone actually said this to him.

[Ian David]

25. Tell him the horny old lady down the hall wants his bed going to a guy with real teeth. n/t

[seabeyond]

10. we NEED to invade other countries cause WE need the oil. theft???

this old time codger should have enough morals to see theft

[Speck Tater]

11. Don't bother. The American people will get the government they deserve. NT

[flamin lib]

12. It's gotten to the point that I simply suggest they have their meds

adjusted to counter the hallucinations . . .

[Gidney N Cloyd]

13. Don't bother arguing unless you're stopping them from >

polluting your kids minds.

[Deep13]

14. Have the discussion late in the day when they are drowsy.

:evilgrin:

[mrcheerful]

16. Keep in mind that a lot of older people are also church goers and

they also read Nostradamus, which they then mix together to predict the war of wars. Back in the 80's the fundies saw a movie about some of Nostradamus predictions, the one about the 3rd world war was a man in a blue turban would arise and set off world war 3 ending in the nuclear destruction of most of the west. It was thought that Iraq was the fuse to Iran's use of nukes against the west. Followed by a 1,000 years of peace, sometime between the war in Iraq and Iran using nukes is when the rapture is supposed to take place. Which explains why the fundies are so hot for the war in Iraq to continue. But they forget that Nostradamus also predicted a brother of JFK would be the prezinut before the war in Iraq strarted. But hey, who pays attention to every little detail?

[ClintonTyree]

17. It's taken me 5 years to convert my 79 yr. old Mother....

she never voted for a Democrat in her life and was behind Bush 100%. After 5 years of explaining what she wasn't hearing on the nightly news and her own observations of the mess Bush has us in she's come around to a rational way of thinking.

It takes time, a LOT of time and really.......it's not worth it. It may seem harsh to say it (all that know me attest to the fact that I'm a harsh person, but truthful) we'll just have to let nature take it's course and they'll fade away sooner than we could convert them.

"The greatest generation" is rapidly exiting. The GOP is going to lose one hell of a voting bloc when they're all gone.

[mrcheerful]

18. What I fear is the brain washed grand kids they leave behind.

One of my elderly relitives has convinced all of her grand kids that it was liberals and democrats that lost the Viet Nam war and are on the way to making GW lose Iraq. They can't be convinced that you can't fight terrorism with military might. They don't understand that the military has one purpose, to fight other armies and using them as the worlds policemen defeats that purpose. Remember military trains to kill not save life or keep the peace.

[ClintonTyree]

23. Good point....

that is scary and they've left behind a lot of grandchildren. We can only hope that their mothers and fathers are more reality based than their grandparents.

[Ian David]

26. "Grandpa, tell us the story again...

about how you saved us from the evil environmentalists that said Global Warming was real?

"Oh, look... another pigeon on the ledge just died from dehydration. I'm starving, Grandpa... do we have to cook it before we eat it? It's SO hot in here..."

[WI_DEM]

19. I know older republicans (70's) who remember when the republican party

was more moderate and they are appalled by the way their party has become and have become independents.

[donsu]

20. you talk to them same way you would talk to anybody else

what's age got to do with it?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

21. How well do you know him?

Whether it will do any good to talk to him about foreign policy really depends upon how well read and informed the individual is. Was he ever in the military in a combat zone? He'd be about the right age for Korea. If he was, then tell him about the feelings of many of the soldiers, especially about being called back again and again. That would be one way to get through to him.

[screembloodymurder]

22. Ask him what he's willing to sacrifice for that oil.

Some of us would rather sacrifice a few trips to the mall than our progeny.

[zalinda]

24. Ask them if it's okay to steal a car if

they have a perfectly good vehicle sitting in their garage that just needs to be fixed. This is what the war is about. Well, that and having their friends make money while stealing the cars. Damn, it's like a chop shop, only you have others stealing the cars for you and taking the chance of getting caught.

zalinda

[Bigmack]

27. I'm 63 and I'm not a Rightwingnut...

... it has nothing to do with age. I will admit that there is a generational disconnect between the 60 and under crowd and the 70 and over crowd. Lots more Bushbots and Rush addicts in the older group. I think it's the lasting effect of WWII.

I've taken to finishing conversations with the older rightwingnuts by saying "This country won't be OK until your generation dies out, and we can get rid of those 19th century ideas."

[EstimatedProphet]

28. Just blow in his face