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When people's main argument about net neutrality is "you just listen to too much Rush Limbaugh" how do you handle the complete inability to have a rational conversation?

How do you stay unjaded with the fact that 80 to 90% of the population are sheep that follow their political spirit animal, chanting herr derr lock step right down the toilet?

In the last few administrations we have happily put on our own shackles with the TSA, the 'department of the Internet', Obama care, The patriot act. ( don't try to tell me that stupid government is only on one side ) For what?

Why do people keep doing it? How can you possibly be hopeful about the future when everybody seems to have lost their mind?

/rant

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I'm 60.  I am closer to the end than the beginning.  I have accepted that and will live the rest of my life in contentment and thankfulness.

I would not like to be a young person these days.

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I find avoiding GD helps keep my mood up.  But honestly this place is like a train wreck.  You don't want to look, but you just have to.

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"The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead.  The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse.  All war depends upon it." - Lieutenant Ronald Speirs



Seriously, I understand.  And the first thing you have to do is accept that humans are humans.  We overwhelmingly want the easy road, the comfy bed, the satisfying meal - and especially the lack of fear and worry that comes from attaining those things.  Most of us enjoy a pleasant walk over a murderous hike so don't judge.  The difference comes when you're asked to pay for that mildness with something of value - tangible things like fees and taxes or intangible things like individual choices and the right to be who you are.  Then you see some serious divisions - and there are a LOT of people who fall on the "Well, I wasn't really using those rights/dollars anyway, soooo...."

Don't hate them.  Don't get frustrated.  Accept that they are different than you and what's obvious to you isn't to them. In some cases, it's even threatening to their reality.

If you still want to talk, ask them why they support what they do.  When you hear things that are wrong ("Net neutrality was because Comcast throttled Netflix!"), ask if they knew their statement wasn't accurate and offer evidence (keep it simple - "Actually, Netflix's president acknowledged it was their network guys.  There never was any throttling.  It's on C-NET's website.").  You're undercutting a belief system so go gently or you'll meet knee-jerk resistance and they'll stop listening.  Just offer.  Don't attack the what, erode the why.  Do it well enough and the what will collapse under its own weight.

If the conversation goes any further and they don't just shut down, see if they recognize that they're selling your "something of value" as well as their own to gain something for themselves and see if they're okay with that.  Because that's what it comes down to.  My favorite line (though the conversations themselves are rarely successful) is, "If you feel uncomfortable asking me, right here and now, for money to pay for your 'x', why is it okay to have some third party take it from me against my will - so they can give it to you to pay for your 'x'?"  If they see it and simply don't care, nothing you ever say will persuade them because they're completely selfish.  But if they never saw it that way, get them to see it and they may come around on their own.  Wherever they go in the conversation, bring it back there without anger or judgement - "But you're still asking them to take it from me.  They want to do it anyway but you're giving them an excuse, because they're saying it's for you.  You're enabling them."

As others have said, this is the world.  It's foolish to despair.  Just fight the battles you can win, try not to stress over things you can't influence, enjoy your life while you have it, and think about how to circumvent the effect of things that are going badly.