1. Know the difference between framing an argument and propaganda
Frames are mental structures used in thought. Honest framing is the use of frames to express truths. Propaganda expresses lies that propagandists know are lies for the sake of political or social advantage.
2. Minimize publicizing Trump
Trump is dominating the media, partly to establish his authority but mainly to divert attention and provide cover to Republican leaders. Keep focused on Republican actions. Minimize publicizing Trump – his image, his name, his tweets.
3. Focus on substance, not sideshows
Trump’s attacks on freedom, democracy and the innocent matter more than his tweets.
4. Prioritize democracy and freedom
In a government by, for and of the people, there is, or should be, no distinction between the public and the government. Government should care about, and for, the public. Government should inform the public truthfully. Republicans are destroying freedom and opportunity by removing “regulations,” which are public protections imposing gag rules and budget cuts on government agencies.
5. Be careful not to spread fake news
Check it out, on the “big four” non-partisan political fact-checkers: PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, the Washington Post’s Fact Checker and Snopes.com. Also, subscribe to real news!
6. Understand the brain’s politics
All ideas are embodied in neural circuitry. The more the circuitry is activated, the stronger the circuitry gets and the more deeply the ideas are held. World views are complex neural circuits fixed in the brain. People can only understand what fits the neural circuitry in their brains. Real facts can be filtered out by world views. “Alternative facts” are falsehoods that follow from ideologies that are fixed, that define one’s identity and so are taken as “higher truths.”
7. No more helpless/hopeless talk
Anger, fear and cynicism benefit Trump’s GOP. Remember: Don’t think of an elephant! Don’t use Republican language or repeat their positions, even to negate them. Frame using ideas you believe and real facts that are contextualized and morally framed. Avoid isolated facts and numbers. The best resistance is positive persistence.
8. Frame all issues from a progressive moral viewpoint
Take the viewpoint of the public good, not corporate profiteering. Take the viewpoint of the impoverished and weak, not the rich and powerful. Take the viewpoint of the preservation, not the destruction, of nature.
9. Join the Citizens’ Communication Network
By following me on Facebook and Twitter. Get started by reading A Minority President (at georgelakoff.com).
George Lakoff is a former distinguished professor of cognitive science and linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, and current director of the Center for the Neural Mind & Society. This is an edited and condensed version of an article originally published at georgelakoff.com.
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