The right wing has lots of purity tests. No taxes. No cooperation with the president of our country. Purity tests are ingrained in their nature. So it should be no surprise to see them misapply purity tests to important and complex issues about our future.
It is critically important to recognize misapplied purity tests for what they are – a useless diversion. In most discussions or debates, all you will ever get from a purity test is a big fat derailment. So: recognize, reject, and return to the productive discussion you were hoping to advance.
The Purity Test is a common tactic that is used to divert discussion of how to achieve desperately needed environmental improvements. It works something like this:
You hypocrite, bleating about greenhouse gas emissions as you drive your gasoline car from your natural gas heated house, writing on your computer that uses electricity from the grid. And now you want other people to sacrifice through taxes etc….
The essential construction of this is as follows:
1) If you have personal environmental impacts, then you have no legitimate
standing to express concerns about any environmental issues
2) Everybody has personal environmental impacts
3) Therefore, nobody has legitimate standing to express concerns about any
environmental issues
That’s right, this line of “reasoning” is intended to stop all discussion of useful environmental actions that could be taken to protect ourselves from, just for instance, the arriving devastation of global warming.
Below the squiggle, methods to deal with this insidious method.
First is what not to do. If you engage with the purity test on its own terms, you’re toast. Here’s what happens if you go down that rabbit hole.
You: But I bought a hybrid, and we recycle, and, and …..
Wingnut: It must be great to be wealthy enough to pay extra for a hybrid. Those pathetic measures won’t have any effect, given all of the environmental and energy costs of your coastal liberal middle class lifestyle.
Now that you’re in the domain of the purity test, nothing you can do will be pure enough. You would only be pure enough if you withdrew from society and any technology that uses energy including your computer. At which point, of course, it would be pretty hard to contribute to the conversation.
The circularity of the “reasoning” is stunning. You can’t advocate for any environmental improvement unless you are pure in terms of your personal impact. Yet, your individual impact can’t affect the outcome. You’re stuck.
And by the way, what was it that you were discussing originally?
The question of personal environmental impact is a worthy topic, but if you are defending your standing to even discuss protecting the environment, it’s the wrong place to be.
Everybody has the right, and the obligation, to contribute their best thoughts on how to protect our environment and thus our children’s future.
Ok, so what is the best response?
Identify and reject the thesis. The purity test is, by definition, a troll tactic.
So let’s replay the original:
FUDdite: You hypocrite, bleating about greenhouse gas emissions as you drive your gasoline car yada yada blah blah blah ...
First, it’s important to recognize that in many settings you have the option to ignore it. If say it’s a Daily Kos comment, then whatever. You can choose to let it be. Don’t be diverted from working together to share ideas within your community.
Let’s say you feel compelled to respond. It could be a one to one conversation. It could be your father in law. Or, like my friend Frank, you may be constitutionally unable to let a wrongness remain unchallenged in your sandbox. Not actually endorsing that last case, BTW. Too many moles to whack.
Important qualifier: I am not advocating violence against moles or any other life form.
The most effective response is: recognize, reject, and return to your positive topic. Like this:
You: I guess expected this – the Purity Test. Anyone who has any personal environmental impact is not allowed to have any opinion on protecting the environment. That makes no sense. So, here’s how the Cap and Dividend plan will help us …
The FUDdites live to spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Any time they stop a productive conversation, they win. So you have to recognize them quickly. And no matter what the apparent substance of their argument on a given day, one of the signatures is the intended effect – on you. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
After hearing something, if you feel Fear, you are probably hearing from a Fuddite. Uncertainty and Doubt, it's pretty much for sure.
If you are hearing that you can’t make a difference, your FUDdite radar should be on five alarms.
Recognize. Reject. Return.
We can make a difference. We can defend our communities from those who would bully or fool us into participating in our own destruction. We can work together to protect our global environment and our children’s future.
Any time you think that you don't have a choice, you actually do.
Any time you think you have to do something that's wrong, you don't.
Our future - worth saving
Not Here.
Not in Our community.
Not in any other place.
Not Today.
Not Tomorrow.
Not Next Year.
We shall not participate in our own Destruction.