I am increasingly feeling the underlying tension that makes me argue on the internet. But I am also feeling how awful Leftists have always tried to make me feel for disagreeing with them. They attack me. They try to hurt me. It is mean-spirited bullying, which has one purpose: securing my silence.
Decent, sane people have no desire to engage in pointless arguments with emotional bullies who want to inflict emotional pain. But this process causes such people–the good, decent people–to become silent, and that in turn allows the liars to dominate the discussion. This rough dynamic is how we have gotten where we are at. They force a choice between unpleasantness and allowing them to pretend there are no other valid views. Normal people have no desire to get beat up verbally in public, so this dynamic works for them in creating the illusion of conformity and widespread support.
I will say more tomorrow or the next day. I have some thoughts I want to share.