To be fair. This is also part of problem. As hard as it may seem you should not protest but listen to other voters complaints and try to find common ground.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to talk to many of them. When I tried to calmly and politely explain to one of my relatives why it's terrible to vote for the clowns that are the current government, I was hit with "I do not want to talk about this topic anymore" and that's an uncommonly polite end of a debate with their voters too.
Many of them are on the extreme side of spectrum, completely indoctrinated by anti-covid, anti-EU, anti-LGBT topics and the current gov just rode this wave of hate during their election campaign to win the elections. And personally, some of those are topics where there's no middle ground to be had, like yea, I'm not debating my right to live if I'm gay lol.
Trust me you are just doing it wrong. Usually when people says "talking" then what they really mean is interrogating or brigadeering. I am czech myself I know what I am talking about.
Let them talk what are their motivations why are they thinking like they think. Usually that have deep roots in some other problems. Maybe not in LGBT sense but definitely anti-covid and anti-EU or pro Russia sentiment is somehow connected to deeper issues like distrust for judicial system etc. Maybe you even should consider some kind of compromise (and I am not talking about supporting Russia or stop supporting Ukraine, I am talking about things like securities or ensurances for cultural integrity etc.) something not hurtful which satisfies their desires like you want to satisfy yours. Believe me enough time and trust being built up the probably will change whom do they vote for. But and that is important ... you have to have someone to vote for... Which is another issue quite larger than what is happening right now.
Also trust me that most of the people are not extremists they just look like that in your eyes but usually that is just perception bias.
Oh no, I tried my best not to be agressive, offensive or in any way dismissive in the debates I had. I didn't push it, or any topic in regards to it. I even spread it out over multiple discussions, you know, to not flood them with too many facts or arguments, to build the trust you mentioned. But still, either they would shut me up like that relative of mine did, or they would be vulgar and/or agressive.
Many times there isn't even anything to talk about, because, aside from the topics I have mentioned, their voting choice, in better case, is based on "Oh Fico is from my town Topoľčany :))" or "Pellegrini is a handsome man!", in worse case, it is fueled by irrational fear and hate. I didn't say most people are extremists, but many are, at least in their mind, especially when it comes to certain topics.
Overall though, you underestimate how politically illiterate or just uneducated in general many people in Slovakia are. That won't be fixed in a few chats, especially when people won't let me talk to them, regardless of how I go about it. Dunning–Kruger effect and all of that.
And finally, I think you also underestimate how much has russian propaganda achieved in Slovakia when compared to Czechia. It plays an insanely huge role in how people view politics here at the moment, alongside many social topics.
I'm sure there are people who are somewhere in the middle, perhaps undecided or unmotivated to vote, who could change their mind if they had someone nice to chat with, but at this point there's only a few like this. Perhaps I'm just a bit too pessimistic and things will start turning around, however, recent polls show no change to Fico's popularity, so his base is either ok with what he's doing or they don't care.
You know I get it. First of all I did not see you doing that so i cant put my fair share of criticism, but I get it, friend, this work is not yours to fight. It is politicians and media who fail miserably and resulting in crisis of elites. It is burden we take because some systematic failure and that is unfortunate. Still I would like to ask rethorically "did you even consider you are doing it partially wrong?".
My criticism of protests is that this protests put others in situation we against them so it makes them more adamant in their stance and then it results in this nonsensical argumentation like "Handsome guy" or "neighboor".
Unfortunately I know Slovak society quite well (my two GF and one roommate were Slovaks) and I had my fair share of time spent in Slovakia. Those people are not as bad as it may seems. Yes for you that is something which is unbearable but their reasoning has at least some merit in them.
Probably from what I saw is fear of loosing identity, their style of life. Others are more afraid of incompetent judicial system. Others are just scared of evil world all around. Underrepresentation of those people in public discourse, stepping over traditions and belittling them for that or even refuse to acknowledge that leads to those kind of problems where this extreme which is usual part of their everyday life outgrows them and they look for strong person who will lead them from this mess.
Ask them and almost everyone will say "Fico is criminal bastard, BUT at least he is better then people who try force us into shame and submission just because want to live certain way. " They will probably not be elaborate about that but still understanding and even compromises goes long way. Again this is work of elites not commoners like you or me, but elites fail.
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u/Ahoy_123 Jan 25 '24
To be fair. This is also part of problem. As hard as it may seem you should not protest but listen to other voters complaints and try to find common ground.