this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2026
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the prices are also just completely made up, like the most a CIWS can fire is continously for 20 seconds - which costs around $46,000. Yes the military budget needs to be reduced, but this is entirely misrepresenting how much these systems actually cost to run.
Thank you for saving me time in watching the video.
When making arguments to an audience hostile to your POV, everything you say has to be completely on the mark, or they will blow up the slightest inaccuracy into some kind of excuse to dismiss your entire premise. You simply cannot afford to give them the slightest opening because they've spent their lives looking for ways to twist things to their advantage, and the more they get opportunities to do so the more difficult it becomes to change the status quo they've created.
In the context of print journalism, I definitely agree with you - having a clear account of the facts is a necessity for democracy. However, in the context of internet commentary and propaganda I think the practical constraints have to be weighed.
The right loves to Gish gallop, spewing out a steam of low quality arguments, lies, and misdirections. Countering each and every one of these blips with pear-review level journalism is not practical for most people.
It's difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. Whether it's a right wing propagandist, an AI bot, or a mentally unwell reactionary, you're not likely to actually convince the 'person' you're arguing with that you're right, but generally speaking there are other, more receptive people reading the thread.
Online we're always going to need meticulous fact checkers, but I think the rhetorical strategy for the average leftist should be more responsive. The focus should be on being correct about the core of whatever issue is being discussed and persuasive to a general audience. A piece like OP's video is a good trade off in my view.