“The AST achieves its goal by a combination of proven techniques:
* A tone of calmness and rationalism is maintained. This creates an enhanced contrast between the AST itself and the responses, which are likely to be emotional and less thoroughly considered.
* The initial starting position for argument is unassailably sensible.
* Each step of the argument is completely reasonable.
* Substantial, even excessive, documentation is provided.
* The final conclusion is outrageous and completely unacceptable to the target victim group.
The hard part of creating a successful AST is making the last item flow naturally from the preceeding ones. The successul AST leaves a typical victim, who is not versed in the minutae of logic, sputtering and flustered as he finds himself almost tempted, for however brief a moment, to believe in the unacceptably outrageous conclusion of the argument.
The AST is not bound to any particular political theory…An AST works toward a conclusion so outrageous that absolutely nobody anywhere in the world (except maybe for a few total kooks) would accept it. Some examples which either did or should have appeared on the now-defunct Adequacy site might be:
Paedophiles perform a public service by accelerating the rate of maturity of our kids
Jeffrey Dahmer was actually a swell guy who is routinely misunderstood
England would greatly benefit from joining the USA as a new state
The death penalty should apply to misdemeanors” MORE
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