The Breakdown…

[DonCoquixote]

152. Devil's advocate

Now, first off, i pretty much agree with every syllable of this letter. You expressed most of my doubts better than I did. However, since we know there will be people who dislike your conclusions, allow me to be devil's advocate ion the original sense of the word, i.e. someone who knows the common rebuttals and who will give you a chance to knock them down

Devil's argument One: "It could be a fraud by some prankster or freeper."

Yes, it could indeed be someone who took time to learn a role to play it well. After all, if actors actresses learn French and fencing to play a role, this person could have learned the right things to say to play the part.

I am sure you have a good rebuttal for this, but I will offer mine:

"yes, it is obvious this person learned the right things to say, but just because the person has obviously done their research does not mean they are not bloody serious about the malice. Dylann Roof walked right into Emmanuel Baptist Church wearing the Rhodesian Flag he had talked about online as his self-appointed secret identity of "The Last Rhodesian." However, just because his research did not make him Rhodesian did not make him safe. Yeah, he was something right out of a bad Saturday Night Live skit, until people got killed."

Devil's argument Two: "No Bernie supporter would be so stupid, or so racist, as to send this, it's gotta be a prank or GOP op"

My rebuttal: The phrase "no true..whatever" is rightfully known as no true Scotsman, a classic fallacy that will get a student laughed out of Logic class. The fact is, even if what they do violates every bloody tenet of the person they claim to be working for, someone will do something. Religion shows this is in spades, with followers of all faiths violating every tenet about being less violent or not mistreating women and children. But we do not need to go there, as frankly every cause has people that do things that are contrary to the cause, on the ground of "we have to destroy the enemy." Yes, this should be something VERY clear every September 1th, something that outlasts all the plastic made in china flags.

Devil's argument Three: "do you know how many times there have been proven pranks!"
Yes, this is really one, but it is mixed with an appeal to authority so that if you do not concede this point, you are easily dismissed as someone who does not know this site, i.e. no authority. However, let's go ahead and concede that there truly IS a LOT of sabotage. One trip to Freeperville or Discussionist will indeed give you so much proof that yes, there is mischief, that no one will deny mischief, to say nothing of the fact the GOP has been caught paying operatives.

My rebuttal: All true, but none of this disproves affirmatively that it was a Bernie supporter that did this. There is nothing in that letter that would make "Mr. Citizen" not a Bernie supporter. Yes, he uses terms like "race-baiting" that I cannot imagine Mr. Sanders himself using, but that HAVE been used all over the internet is response to Seattle. If he was NOT a bernie supporter, and his job/desire was simply to rattle Bravenak, there was one cheap way to do it: use a racial slur. That is what many GOP do, especially the far right. This person was at least clever enough to make the point that Bernie speaks "for minorities" and does not do any of the classic symbols that are used to intimidate black people. So, if intimidation alone was the goal, he avoided the most obvious way to do it. I will also add that if it was a GOP op trying to simply turn Blacks and Bernie supporters on each other, then using a race slur would have made MORE sense. I am trying to say this as sensitive as possible, and I apologize if even after all the safety nets this still offends, but what would a GOP love less than the idea that Bernie supporters use THAT WORD that needs no repeating. You know that if Mr. Citizen used that word, Bravenak would be offered an interview on Fox News, because it would help sever the ties between AA's and Democrats that have kept them out of 1600 PA ave.

These are my humble points, but by all means, add ,more, as you have shown you can craft a wicked, solid set of logic.