Gaslighting

[Martin Hash]

A term that has come out of obscurity but works well to precisely define a debating fallacy is “gaslighting,” taken from an old movie. Gaslighting’s most common display is when somebody starts a sentence with “you’re crazy…” In the exact sense, the term “gaslighting” is an attempt to cast someone else as mentally impaired so that their desires & opinions mean nothing because their judgment is suspect and can be dismissed out of hand. It’s definition has expanded to include any assumption of false fact, a kind of straw-manning but it doesn’t require any prep: “I know you’re a conspiracist,” “you’re being paranoid,” or “you always scream at me.” Gaslighting can be a very effective to frame the debate if you let it.

Gaslighting is another name-calling tactic used by the Left to undermine & debase people rather than arguments, included in the laundry list of pejoratives along with: “you’re racist,” “you’re a misogynist” & “you’re transphobic.” As with any of these false accusations, if you go on the defensive, you’ve lost; you’re answer isn’t to defend yourself, it’s go on the attack: “stop gaslighting!” or insincere supplication: “I’m crazy.” The former response puts your opponent on the defensive, and the latter catches them with nothing else to say then you fill the gap with whatever you were saying in the first place.

[C-Mag]

They've been doing this to Rural folks all my life.

Youre crazy, stupid o both so you and your opinions don't matter. They've done it so much, it's part of the culture and norms of the nation to consider anyone not from urban jungles is considered a rube and disposable. And the arrogance around has gotten huge in their thought bubbles. They will say things like. Urban people are the most productive, the most intelligent, the apex of society. Bloomberg showed how ignorant he was when he said all farming is putting a seed in the ground and covering it with dirt.

If it's just now happening to you............... welcome aboard.

[Martin Hash]

It was in response to dorks who come into this forum and immediately start with that shit, and of course Hanny & Monte.