Truth Smugglers have a variety of “poison pills” in their arsenal. One of them is the statement, “every informed, intelligent person knows…” and they go on to state the view they are defending. This is a “poison pill” because it automatically frames the conversation so that any opposing idea you may express puts you in the category of being “uninformed” or “unintelligent.” When the debate centers on facts that must be gathered from a specific area of expertise, the poison pill says, “all reputable experts in this area believe…” That “poison pill” is designed to automatically invalidate any facts you may have from another “expert” which contradicts their information. These are general, subtle statements which are non-offensively slipped into a conversation for the purpose of winning an argument. But they actually obstruct the process of answering a question or resolving a problem.
In contrast, there are “poison pills” which are much less subtle and much more personal. They frame the issue by saying that anyone who holds an opposing view is somehow deficient in his/her ability to think or feel any differently. Take the incessant “Conservative-Liberal” wrangling for example. The labels people wear sets off the “Truth Smuggling” alarm in my brain. By wearing labels, people are saying, “I have a certain set of values and beliefs that I am going to follow, and no set of circumstances or discovery of new information is going to change my predisposed positions.” That is exactly what Liberals and Conservatives do. In order to purvey their predisposed positions against each other and smuggle truth out of any debate, they throw poison pills at one another. Conservatives accuse those who have Liberal beliefs of being mentally ill. Liberals label people who hold Conservative views of being uncompassionate fat cats who don’t care about the common man.
So, the lines are drawn by these poison pills. If I am on one side of an issue, I have ready- made accusations for the people on the other side. I don’t even have to bother with considering, evaluating, or even listening to any specific points they raise. I have smuggled the truth away, and I have added to my political power base. Mission accomplished!