[User23]

None of us have very good insight into the administration's actions. We do know that the most provocative thing it has done so far was also called for by Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama. If you suddenly feel it's a huge deal now but you didn't then, it's probably because effective persuasion techniques have altered your world-view.

Personally I hate having my reality manipulated like that and I go full contrarian, but everyone has to make their own decision about the reality tunnel they want to inhabit. PG's essay http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html is a good eye opener. From there, read Robert Cialdini's books. While persuasion works on everyone, even if they know the techniques and even if they know they are being applied, being aware that it's being done is still better than not.

The most effective (while assuredly strictly incorrect) approach I know of is to assume that everything you hear is true. All of it, good, bad, indifferent, from all sides. And then weight all of that in the context of your own values and make the decision you think is right. While this requires holding contradictory beliefs, that's clearly something we as humans are more than capable of so why not use it?

[dragonwriter]

> We do know that the most provocative thing it has done so far was also called for by Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama.

No, it wasn't. And I'm not even sure which of the many provocative things he's done you think is the most provocative, but it's not true of any of them, so...

[User23]

This kind of cognitive dissonance is a reliable indicator that persuasion techniques have been applied. Interestingly, presenting contrary facts is well-established to have virtually no persuasive power.

If you really want to expand your mind try the technique in the post you're replying to. If you're comfortable inhabiting a reality where a crazy oompa loompa is going to drop nukes any day now, carry on then.