Spastic Defamation

A rhetorical tactic commonly employed by the Alt-Left (Post Modern Neo-Marxists) to intimidate and isolate their ideological opponents.

The Technique

A spastic defamer will use highly emotive toxic labels to describe an opponent. Common examples are 'racist', 'sexist' and 'nazi'. These toxic labels are intentionally applied with little accuracy in regards to the opponent's actual position. This results in multiple desirable effects for the spastic defamer:

Moral Disgust reaction

Acquiescence to crazy and psychological extortion

Concept Creep (opponent's ideas become associated with toxic labels)

Moral Disgust Reaction

The primary desirable effect is for the label to stick and promote a moral disgust reaction in others. Disgust is a particularly visceral moral emotion. It will cause not only the opponent but also anything associated with the opponent to be ostracized for fear of contamination. An opponent's argument will not be examined by observers for fear of mental contamination. The opponent becomes a pariah. In addition the threat of contamination invoked by a moral disgust reaction makes it particularly easy to demand associates disavow the opponent. Such associates could include employers, publishers, social media sites or other intellectuals.

Acquiescence to crazy and psychological extortion

A secondary desirable effect achieved by the spastic defamer, is the dissuasion of third-party observers from siding with the opponent. The dissuasion of third-party observers is achieved through both acquiescence and psychological extortion.

Typically, people with a rational position on an issue will go to extreme measures to avoid arguing with someone who has a crazy position. Through spastic defamation, the spastic defamer demonstrates their irrationality, their craziness, that they will not be swayed by rational arguments. Third-party observers note this and often acquiesce to the spastic defamer rather than engage in an argument where little could be gained.

Beyond the acquiescence the spastic defamer can expect to instill a state of psychological extortion on third-party observers. The source of this psychological extortion is the clear damage done to the opponent by the moral disgust reaction of other observers. Observers not swayed by the disgust reaction will still find themselves silenced or even forced into disavowing the opponent lest they to be considered part of the contamination. Once the opponent of the spastic defamer becomes a pariah, any observer will rightly fear also becoming a pariah if they are perceived as defending the opponent. This is the contamination effect of moral disgust in action. The contamination effect invoked by moral disgust means there is much to lose by becoming a supporter of the opponent. There is much to lose and little to gain by stepping into the ring so potential opponents find themselves either acquiescing to the crazy or psychologically extorted by the contamination effect. Either way the spastic defamer reduces opposition.

Concept Creep (opponent's ideas become associated with toxic labels)

A tertiary desirable effect is achieve by the spastic defamer after a pattern of successful engagements develops. The concept, be it 'racist', 'sexist', 'nazi', begins to creep into the actual ideas and arguments of anyone opposed to the spastic defamer. The ultimate success of the spastic defamation tactic is achieved when the concept 'racist', 'sexist', 'nazi' creeps to the point where it means simply anyone who disagrees with the spastic defamer. The spastic defamer effectively becomes the arbiter of to whom the toxic label shall be applied. This is the total control of language sought by spastic defamation: the power to determine who is and who is not a pariah.

How to defend against Spastic Defamation

Call out Spastic Defamation as such when you see it. Refer to it as a pathology of the Spastic Defamer example: "This journalist clearly suffers from Spastic Defamation Syndrome". Use the acronym 'SDS'(Spastic Defamation Syndrome) knowledgeably. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know I was arguing with someone who suffered from SDS." The term spastic defamation has been designed to do much of the persuasive work for you. The term spastic implies that the spastic defamer is being unreasonable or impulsive. This moves the onus on to them to then justify the toxic label they have attached to their opponent. The focus is then back to the arguments which is exactly where you want it. The term also calls the spastic defamer out as a defamer which implies that they are saying something untrue or inaccurate about their opponent, which they are.

Spread the Word

If the term spastic defamer works for you as a way to both identify and disarm this despicable rhetorical tactic please spread the word and help fight back against the alt-left (Post modern Neo-Marxists).

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