I’m “debating” a Liberal who thinks “Marx had some valid critiques of capitalism” and “the US has done some bad things” but isn’t great on AES. I sent them the recent post showing that China doesn’t block western media, and they said that it only shows one computer and smart people can get around blocked stuff, and I explained what it actually shows before they said “China is still more authoritarian than the US and my personal freedoms aren’t stopped by my government” (note: all of these are paraphrases, but I don’t think I’ve strawmanned anything). So, what are some solid examples of the average citizens in socialist countries having more “freedom” than in capitalist countries? Edit: Thanks for all the great responses!
Western nations and their populations are biased in general. That’s just how human things go. Make sure you ask him to take into consideration his internal and regional biases before making assumptions or statements based on conjecture. Ask him to try to relate to these nations before he judges them.
I think it’s always best to ask directly if they’re willing to make a good-faith conversation that seeks truth and not victory. Be if they’re not willing to put aside bias and prejudice, they will not be willing to change their opinion.
As for you, try to look at it from their perspective. Maybe you were a lib at some point in your life, think of what helped you realize that AES countries aren’t the devil. Go bit by bit, don’t turn it into a tirade against the nation you live in. In general, people will respond better to a relatable and understandable emotional journey than to an article or just straight facts.