this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2025
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[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 186 points 5 days ago (2 children)

He was not a debater, he was a propagandist.

[–] UnexpectedBehavior@lemmy.world 82 points 5 days ago (1 children)

CK was a pussy who got his ass whipped every time he left his faschist echo chamber and debated someone with more than two brain cells

[–] iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago (2 children)

As someone not from the US, do you have examples?

[–] oyo@lemmy.zip 10 points 4 days ago

He was a content farmer. And he worked hard for that content because most average, random college kids absolutely destroyed him.

[–] sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz 119 points 5 days ago (3 children)

It was bad arguing. There's a reason why he only argued with children and never with any actually serious debate clubs.

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 48 points 5 days ago

This. He was terrible at arguing. You are describing a terrible orator with no skill to analyze it present ideas.

But we took humanities out of school curriculum long ago, so most can't tell.

In the land of the blind the one-eyed is king.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 51 points 5 days ago

We can probably thank decades of shout shows on television, especially cable, in which "debates" took place that were not really actual debates.

Same with the way our "debates" are run when it comes to politicians running for office.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

never with any actually serious debate clubs

In my experience, many debate clubs have at least a few members who are wankers like Kirk.

For example, Ted Cruz was a debate whiz kid in college. But outside that artificial, controlled environment, he still resorts to bullying and flooding the zone with bullshit. That's because propaganda is a different game than debate, and debate skills have limited relevance to political discussions.

[–] sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I didn't know that. I always assumed people who argued like he did would quickly be shut down by the basic rules of the format and give up if they couldn't learn to adapt

[–] TheJesusaurus@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

Know how everyone hates lawyers because they basically manipulate the meaning of the rules to serve themselves? It's like that.

If you're an absolute killer at the kind of rules and admin of debate, you can rack up points with nonsense and keep your opponent from doing the same.

It's an insanely stupid use of people's time

[–] Catma@lemmy.world 40 points 5 days ago

Cant wait for his next debate

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 76 points 5 days ago (5 children)

I hate that most people seem to be unaware of the Gish Gallop.

Ben Shapiro does the same thing, as did "Dr" Dino (an evolution denier).

[–] axexrx@lemmy.world 14 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I was in middle school when Adam Sandler's Billy madison came out. The year following, we had debate class.

Anything remotely approximating a gish-gallop was immediately responded to with the ben stein quote

"what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

Im disappointed this did not just become the standard shut down.

[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 14 points 5 days ago (1 children)

the ben stein quote

It was Jim Downey, but Ben Stein probably would've worked just fine in that role as well. Too bad Stein's an anti-abortion creationist weirdo though.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Jim Downey is a comedy legend. If you know, you know.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

That's awesome. I've heard that clip played for so many things over the years, and honestly, I wish public political "debates" would push a buzzer, cut the mic of the offender and play that clip. Being able to spot and name a Gish Gallop should be in every American's toolbox and maybe a humorous way to teach it would be that clip. :)

I've never been in debate class or on a debate team, but I'm well aware that what is often called a "debate" isn't anything like what a debate should be. Most of it seems to be about who is able to craft and get in a well-scripted zinger, but one that doesn't come off like it's well-scripted.

Like Ronnie Raygun's "there you go again". I mean, that's the classic case of this kind of thing, and even today, conservatives that remember that think it's a real counterpoint. When it just sounds like something barely evolved past the playground's "I know what you are, but what am I?"

And people, even with the rise of the Internet, are still able to get away with the Gish Gallop and have people think the abuser is really smart and a master debater.

[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Fucking Aquaman?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLqXkYrdmjY&t=191s

It's sad how stupid your message can be and still amass an army of idiots to line up behind you.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

LOL, I forgot about that stupid argument by climate denialists about just being able to sell your house and move when the tides rise and claim your property....

But Aquaman is the perfect response!

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Call him by his name so folks can better shame him. Kent Hovind is a bitch less whoreson who has willingly and knowingly exposed children to pedophilic sexual predators.

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[–] criss_cross@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

TIL

Like I’ve seen it in action and have had to counter it but never knew there was a formal name for it.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 20 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Him and a bunch of other dipshits that hold these "debates" would have failed high school debate classes or an actual judged competition.

[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 15 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Yeah since his death I watched a couple of videos and he ~~is~~ was so robotic and insincere. Like he would just cut off his opponent if he detected a keyword that relates to some lukewarm rebuttal (that anyone with a passing familiarity with the topic would see through) and use it as a rhetorical trap, to stop having a thinking debate and pivot to simply spewing talking points.

Smelling the feculent turn, the crowd would then cheer and whoop him on as he would pile on more and more bullshit over the original dishonest dump.

Then his Move: he would ask a question based on this insincere tower of turds. He would repeat it, it's a simple question, right? Just answer the question.

Obviously the original point is buried under several layers of shit by this point, so it's hard to tell what the debate was even about...

I think that's what honest people failed to realise when debating Kirk. It wasn't about anything other than winning the debate.

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[–] HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 12 points 4 days ago

Never Play Defense is the alt right playbook

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wmVkJvieaOA

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 35 points 5 days ago (2 children)

If y’all aren’t familiar yet, the ‘Alt-right Playbook’ videos on Youtube explain all this really well and explain what we have to continue to deal with

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 10 points 5 days ago

I typically avoid videos because I vastly prefer reading, but I make an exception for those. I just watch them at double speed.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

The way to deal with it is to not play by their rules. Fascists don't care about winning rational arguments, they just want to get you to waste your time and energy trying.

Drive them out of power, that's the only language they understand.

[–] hunnybubny@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 4 days ago

And this is why one of the correct answers is I do not care.

Try this on tankies. Or Hassan habibis. They will just continue with bullshit and insults.

Never a dialogue. It is a flood of hate.

[–] NochMehrG@feddit.org 21 points 5 days ago

There are more „episodes“ from this event on YouTube. They are all pretty great. Kirk seems to have problems debating with people who actually know their stuff and don’t let themselves be tricked.

[–] BetaBlake@lemmy.world 18 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] xyzzy@lemmy.today 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

As someone who categorically avoids watching far right bad faith grifters, I missed the original debate. This young woman is super smart and articulate. Still some room to grow, but I've watched a few things with her now.

That said, I wish we lived in a world where it was considered more worthwhile to do something more impactful with her mind than engage with these grifters for clicks while putting herself at risk given their audiences and her physical appearance and views.

[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Spreading false, bigoted and genocidal propagonda is not debating. That's called selling out your humanity and sucking satan's dick for money

Btw people need to stop talking about charlie kirk, or else we will keep reminding everyone of how evil and hateful he was every time they mention him.
Let him rest in piss or we will keep shitting on him

Guy never won a single argument as a result of not answering questions in kind.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago

With all of the game/competition shows out there they should have a "Debate Club" or "Celebrity Debate Club" which could possibly pass down critical thinking to the viewer.

[–] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

Consider it rejected.

[–] Nightlight17776@lemmy.ca 10 points 5 days ago

I didn't know who kirk was and this disheveled looking British kid was my introduction to him. What a lad!! Multiple mic drop moments

[–] rickdg@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Classic fascist playbook archetype. The man of action that appeals to tradiction, rejects modernity and fosters fear from those that are different.

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

Grading on a curve, sadly he was much better than a lot of the other right wing personalities.

He at least let them have a mic even in his own forum, which is more than you can say for most right wingers.

[–] PillowD@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

An asshole who picked fights all the time finally gets one.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago

Jubilee: 1 Charlie Kirk vs 1 Discord Lunatic: Who would win?

[–] Soktopraegaeawayok@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Steamrolling an argument is honestly a legit tactic used in arguing sometimes. A shity and arrogant one though maybe.

[–] TheJesusaurus@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

If you are in debate club and the goal is "win debate", fine tactic.

If you are doing basically anything else?

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

Imthe fact that any kind of offical debate can be “won” by shouting over people is in itself a sign that the whole affair is worthless.

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