How do you reply to people who think that way?
You should commiserate. Senility is no joke.
“When I was young I was a socialist, but now I’m grown up so I’m a libertarian.”
lol
I usually reply by saying, “Yeah, it’s nice to have commonsense again.”
Because there’s no common sense in libertarianism.
^Oh snap.
I was a conservative statist when I was youngest, then went from “left” libertarian to “right” libertarian. What does that say about age? I saw the government as more and more illegitimate as I got older.
Tell them age does not mean that all your ideas are true. Argue with arguments not meaningless personal attributes.
Statement Of Conversion:
the speaker says “I used to believe in X”.
This is simply a weak form of asserting expertise. The speaker is implying that he has learned about the subject, and now that he is better informed, he has rejected X. So perhaps he is now an authority, and this is an implied Argument From Authority.
A more irritating version of this is “I used to think that way when I was your age.” The speaker hasn’t said what is wrong with your argument: he is merely claiming that his age has made him an expert.
“X” has not actually been countered unless there is agreement that the speaker has that expertise. In general, any bald claim always has to be buttressed.
For example, there are a number of Creationist authors who say they “used to be evolutionists”, but the scientists who have rated their books haven’t noticed any expertise about evolution.
http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html#conversion
If age means anything in understanding truth, we should just consult the oldest people in every field. Then we’ll have paradise!
Essentially that they don’t, and never did know anything about libertarianism.
You walk away. Don’t waste your time with people like that because they are closed-minded.
I didnt know that a requirement to growing up was to choose between being a liberal or republican
Libertarianism is the most demographically old idea.
I can see it.
When you get older the political people pander to you more. Your entitlement to goodies is almost axiomatic. All the politicians are about your age. They are into all the lame pop culture stuff that you are. Quoting old episodes and name dropping bands.
Just think that both liberals and conservatives support welfare for old people. Not so for young people.
When people are young, they need less from politics. But at the same time are getting it good and hard. As the memory of public school indoctrination and control fades away, so does your cognizence of who owns you. Hence, there goes your soul.
Just ask them why they changed.
It goes something like this:
“I’m a responsable person now and I realized that I have to take care of others”.
“I’m a responsable person now and I realized that I have to take care of others”.
Then just do it, by all means. Correction - by all means but forcing others to do this for you.