I know exactly how you feel, pede. I have good friends - otherwise kind and smart people - who insist that they are neutral and moderate and formulate all their own opinions without outside influence they are just totally free thinkers coming to their own conclusions based on the facts.

... And then they will tow the party line harder than a fucking tugboat and literally shout me down Chris Wallace style and say I'm 'distracting from the issue' when I dare deviate from the neat little script they have in their heads. Two friends have literally covered their ears and said "LaLaLaLaLa" like a fucking child and then called me closed minded!! The cognitive dissonance is remarkable. That's why we call them NPCs. They are not bad guys, but until the system changes and they are told it's okay to not tow the line they are just mind slaves to the enemy. Very much like the Matrix.

I know exactly how you feel, pede. I have good friends - otherwise kind and smart people - who insist that they are neutral and moderate and formulate all their own opinions without outside influence they are just totally free thinkers coming to their own conclusions based on the facts.

... And then they will tow the party line harder than a fucking tugboat and literally shout me down Chris Wallace style and say I'm 'distracting from the issue' when I dare deviate from the neat little script they have in their heads. Two friends have literally covered their ears and said "LaLaLaLaLa" like a fucking child and then called me closed minded!! The cognitive dissonance is remarkable.