this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2026
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[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 minutes ago* (last edited 7 minutes ago)

Say honestly both Trump and Newsom working to reduce our oil usage is a good thing. Trump is also working harder then any president to finally cut down US ranchers to give vegan diets a better chance.

Its just too bad Trump wasnt as smart anf its costing us billions for his plan to go back to the middle east for a few decades compared to just taxing it.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Generally, I avoid people who engage in MAGA talking points. The massive, oligarch-sponsored, far-right propaganda machine that dominates social media and television viewership uses the same brainwashing techniques used on US soldiers in Korea, and there's no cure for that yet.

We know human beings can be manipulated. It's why we regulate advertising and prosecute grift. FOX News should be unlawful has it stands, but so should gambling and here we are.

My own father is a MAGA disciple and an avid viewer of FOX News. He's isolated from all other news sources, which is what they do. I have to protect myself from him.

[–] PeteWheeler@lemmy.world 8 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

The answer is obviously 'it depends'.

Do you want to be an asshole to your parents? Do you want to keep things civil?

The most responsible and mature answer is probably, just ignore them and actively be out of their communication reach. This means physically (don't be in the same room/house as them) and digitally (turn off notifications from them).

[–] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 58 minutes ago

They can be civil, but they're just fed the immigrant disinformation campaign so they're just genuinely ignorant

[–] BigPotato@lemmy.world 17 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

You always go crazier.

Bring up the ancient aliens that have infiltrated the highest levels of the Russian and Israeli governments and are using bisexual mind control to force Trump to cuckold himself to Newsom, causing the theta waves to destabilize the oil reserves, leading to the shortages that will allow Mongolia to rise as a global power.

That, or do the smart thing and shrug and walk away.

[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 4 points 14 hours ago

And the 5g chips from the covid vaccines! Don’t forget those.

[–] ExperimentalGuy@programming.dev 6 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

What do you mean crazier? That's just the facts?

[–] flandish@lemmy.world 3 points 15 hours ago

am alien. can confirm.

[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 11 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

“You voted for this.”

Ok, maybe not if you’re a minor and living in their house…

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 13 hours ago

This is what you asked for
Heavy is the crown...

[–] innermachine@lemmy.world 12 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

It's tough, but you cannot reason somebody out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.

[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 2 points 14 hours ago
[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 16 points 20 hours ago

if you want people to change their minds on something, don't tell them anything. ask them.

  • what could the current administration do to help reduce the cost of gas?
  • what is Trump doing to reduce the cost of living?
  • do you think the war in Iran had any impact on the cost of gas?
[–] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.today 11 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

If you live with them or rely on them, you should consider saying nothing. Avoid disagreements with them. Conservatives do not develop deep emotional bonds with their children the way normal people do. You risk them abandoning you before you are able to survive on your own.

If you do not live with them or rely on them financially, it is best to not communicate with them at all. Nothing good can come from a relationship with a conservative.

In fact, nothing good in human history has ever come from conservatism.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago

This right here. For the love of all fucking things, don't waste decades of your one precious life trying to get through to them. They are loyal to one thing, violence, implied or actualized, and nothing more.

[–] thespcicifcocean@lemmy.world 10 points 19 hours ago

"Is it nice, living in a reality of your own design?"

[–] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 17 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

Ask them if prices have risen since last year. Then ask them that you are interested in how California fucked this up recently, and if they could tell you which new Californian law has been enacted in recent months, that made gas so much more expensive.

Ignore all propaganda videos they might send you, and keep asking for that law that must have changed.

[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 97 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just make something up that you find funny. There is no point engaging in reality.

Say Newsom actually passed legislation that lowered prices act but trump over turned it because hes brought and paid for by the oil and gas lobby.

Whatever they reply just make up something that directly counters it. Let them see how it feels to try and debunk bullshit 24/7

[–] bizzle@lemmy.world 29 points 1 day ago

I love you.

[–] Leather@lemmy.world 9 points 23 hours ago

Red hats suffer from a collective delusional state. Talking to them is pointless.

[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 7 points 22 hours ago

Tell them they sound like Libertarians, who don’t want to pay for road repairs because “the roads are already built.”

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

AAA has gas prices country wide

https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/

basically everywhere on the western side of the country is getting rocked. Idaho is deep red and is pushing 5 bucks a gallon.

Add to that that more then 10% of the country lives in California so demand is naturally going to be higher which in turn causes prices to go up. So yeah, part might be high fuel taxes, but its certainly not the only part, unless they're gonna say Alaskas high prices are also just because of fuel taxes, in which case they're just dumb.

[–] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 56 minutes ago* (last edited 55 minutes ago) (1 children)

Yoo why does Arizona gas cost so much wtf

Edit: nvm, I thought it was sorted most expensive to least expensive, not alphabetical order

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 1 points 26 minutes ago

Still in the top ten though...

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 99 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Don't bother engaging. They will not change their mind, you will not change yours. All roads lead to friction.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 20 hours ago

And friction leads to heat, and heat to higher AC bills.

[–] credo@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Yes, I also don’t talk to my parents much.

[–] meco03211@lemmy.world 71 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Did they bitch about gas prices under biden and solely blame him? If so, ask what's different now. See if they can point to state level changes that affected gas prices.

This is assuming they would at least attempt a good faith argument. If not, I'd just laugh and imply they have the mentality of a child thinking they figured out the world and are dead wrong. Like listen to their inane rants and just kinda chuckle as if it's impressive they built such a convoluted plot in their head.

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 58 points 1 day ago

You can't logic someone out of something they didn't logic themselves into.

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"buy an ev you stupid fuckers",

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

buys a cyber truck

[–] mrmaplebar@fedia.io 39 points 1 day ago

Tell them to move. Living on the West Coast is a privilege. If they don't like it they are free to leave.

Also, it's not the taxes that cause the price of gas to fluctuate daily, it's supply and demand of things like crude oil. Trump's stupid war in Iran has caused oil prices to spike globally, and this is easy to prove.

[–] EffortlessGrace@piefed.social 51 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"Have the day you voted for."

[–] Jolteon@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 minutes ago

I'm genuinely curious. What does the California state gas taxes have anything to do with any recent elections?

It sounds like the complaints are about the difference in gas prices between California and the rest of the U.S., not gas prices in general.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago

Two options.

  1. Remind them that they are stupid and that California's air quality used to be way worse before stricter fuel refinement and SMOG laws. As a Californian I can literally confirm this within my own lifetime.

  2. Stop speaking to them like I've done with all the dipshit conservatives in my orbit because you'll never change them so why waste your time on lost causes? The only possible catalyst for change is them losing their loved ones due to their own ignorance but, realistically, that same ignorance will prevent them from accepting that it's their own fault.

[–] DonkeyStar@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

“Goodbye.”

[–] lennybird@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Two options:

  1. Link obvious rise to "no new wars" Iran Epstein War (bring up Epstein relentlessly).

  2. Say it's wild how California is outsmarting Trump. Guess he's a terrible incompetent leader who cannot outsmart California let alone Iran.

You need to also start fucking with their algorithms. Inject some reality into their phones etc.

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago

The algoritm part is huge, I have read other posts about people who managed to get their parents at least partway back from the MAGA swamp by simply curating their video watch history and subscribing to cute animal channels.

I have been curating my own YT watch history for more than a decade at this point, and damn, it makes YT so much bareble.

[–] bigbangdangler@reddthat.com 18 points 1 day ago (7 children)

There is no solution here.

In my own similar situation, I have come to the conclusion that it's bigger than any single issue. You can't reason any of these folks out of it, because a major factor is their belief that they are always, always right regardless of what the truth may be.

You can show them the math. You can cite paper after paper. You can try whatever you want and none of it will stick. Even if they claim otherwise, they think they're right and you're wrong. The closest you'll get is appeasement.

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[–] iatenine@piefed.social 11 points 1 day ago

Tell them to "get good" then drink the remaining gasoline in their fuel tank without breaking eye contact to establish dominance

Plot twist: they don't live in California

[–] gigastasio@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 day ago

“Believe whatever the fuck you want.”

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