How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument

by Ben Shapiro

This is what makes leftists leftists: an unearned sense of moral superiority over you.

Calling you a racist and sexist, a bigot and a homophobe, gives them a sense of satisfaction with their status in the universe, even if they never help a single individual human being.

What they want to teach instead is that is you are personally ignorant, bigoted, corrupt, and mean if you disagree with them. Their opinions are not opinions; they are fact.

That’s why when I was in college, I wrote like a communist on my tests -- thank God for blue books! I would put my student ID number on my blue books, and I was now indistinguishable from a member of the Spartacus Club. I recommend this strategy for all conservative students at liberal organizations and liberal universities: there’s no reason to sacrifice your grades because the professor’s a jerk.

For the media, all arguments are character arguments. If you disagree with the members of the media about something, you are a fundamentally bad human being.

There are truly only three situations in which debating someone on the left is worthwhile. First, you must: your grade depends on it, or your waiter threatens to spit in your food unless you tell him why same-sex marriage is a detriment to Western civilization. Second, you found an honest leftist actually willing to be convinced by solid

argumentation.

Third, you should debate a leftist if there is an audience.

Rule #1: Walk Toward the Fire.

There is no detente. Detente does not exist. No matter how nice or polite you are, they will come after you.

Rule #2:

Rule #3: Frame Your Opponent.

Rule #4: Frame the debate.

Rule #5: Spot Inconsistencies in the Left’s Arguments.

On abortion, the left says it is for choice, but ignores that the baby has no choice.

Rule #6: Force Leftists to Answer Questions.

Rule #7: Do Not Get Distracted.

Rule #8: You Don’t Have To Defend People on Your Side.

Rule #9: If You Don’t Know Something,

Rule #10: Let The Other Side Have Meaningless Victories.

Rule #11: Body Language Matters.