THE ROBERT W. WHITAKER ARCHIVE

THE BUGS IDEA OF WINNING AN ARGUMENT | 2015-09-03

Bill Rusher wrote a book called "How to Win an Argument."

Even then the idea struck me as a bit childish, though of course I never said so.

If you want something to brag about among the lightweights of National Review, you aim at WINNING.  You end the story triumphantly by saying, "And you should have seen the look on his face!"

Power consists of making points that would never occur to any respectable conservative.

I constantly lost arguments by using the word "all."

"All Communist countries have armed guards to keep their people in."

Didn't mind at all if someone made that point and lost the argument.

My point was made.

On gun control, I would bring up Switzerland.  It has guns in millions of private hands and no more gun crime than other European countries with fanatical gun control.

I didn't mind the other person thinking they "won" because they listed all the European countries with fanatical gun control and low gun crime.

Despite the fact that my boss was on the NRA Board of Directors and I wrote him at least a dozen speeches on guns in Switzerland, no conservative defending against gun control ever used that example.

No conservative ever whispered about the prison walls around all Communist states.

They were afraid that if they made the point they would lose the argument.

To me they were Losers.

They  probably thought they were Being Shrewd.

COMMENTS (4)

#1 Lord Nelson | 2015-09-03 15:35

Reminds me of a recent exchange I had on youtube.

Anti-White: Name me one White country.

Me: So you're a Anti-White who denies the existence of White countries?

(Debate ended right there)

Sometimes the answers come easy when you accept the true nature of Anti-Whites and treat them with the contempt they and their words deserve.

#2 Simmons | 2015-09-03 18:37

Yep I lose many arguments but win the battle, I think long term.

As for guns and race even your example is coming to fruition about 40 something years later, even the semi-respectables are saying that whites just don't add up in the death dealing column

#3 Yankee Rebel | 2015-09-04 00:45

I started reading a book recently about the State of Maine and they were boasting about the low crime rate, but then later started to complain that Maine was 97% White and lacked "diversity" like this was a bad thing. Ironic how they could not see any relationship between the two. I haven't lost any arguments on the internet since listening to Beefcake's Bootcamp and using the Bugs Buddy Web. I stick to topic, avoid tailgating, and eventually wear them down or I leave once my points have been made for the audience.

#4 Jason | 2015-09-04 05:02

Your point about leaving once your point has been made is key. It's not always easy to do, but it's the sign of a real BUGSER.