Ridicule Definition: Attempting to arouse dislike against a person or idea by name-calling, sarcasm or jokes.
Catch-phrase: Everybody is someone else’s weirdo.
Examples: Satire Cartoons and caricatures Sarcastic or humorous ballads Tobiah to Nehemiah (Neh. 4:3): “If a fox jumped on your wall, he would knock it over.” Mocking caricatures like Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and the CBS TV drama Noah’s Ark During the Spanish Inquisition, authorities dressed “heretics” (often godly, courageous martyrs) in dunce caps or costumes painted with the flames of hell and marched them through the jeering crowd. Jokes about the Kansas school board and the Land of Oz Calling creationists troglodytes, backwoodsmen (Dawkins), flat-earthers. After the Scopes Trial, a cartoon was circulating picturing William Jennings Bryan as a monkey with the caption, “He denies his lineage.”
If all else fails, try . . .Subversion Definition: Preventing your opponent from getting a hearing.
Catch-phrase: Head 'em off at the pass.
Examples: Spying Trojan Horse: “Please accept this gift with our blessing.” Dumbing down the students to make them compliant, or so that they could never understand the Bible or The Federalist. Raising a generation of “loyal” followers (Nazi schools, communist “Young Pioneers” clubs) Raising a generation of citizens dependent on your services (e.g., welfare) so they keep voting for you lest you take away their entitlements. Infiltrating the opposition’s organization to water it down, redirect it or expose its weaknesses for conquest Slipping the opponent a truth serum or sedative Framing your opponent; planting incriminating evidence Communist strategy: three steps forward, two steps back. Watering down the opposition through compromise (see Appeasement, below) Getting the opposition’s leader to appear in a compromising situation or making a confession Passing a law against teaching intelligent design or even weaknesses of evolution, or making it appear to be illegal Getting your advocate on the Supreme Court or Borking your opponent’s nominee Keeping the populace fat and happy with bread and circuses so they don’t revolt. Keeping the students spaced out on drugs, sex and rock 'n roll. Getting your enemies to fight each other so they stop bothering you. Getting the opposition leader to defect to your side. Jamming the Voice of Freedom or bombing the studio. Preventing publication by your opponent. Book burning Pulling the cables on the sound system during your opponent’s speech, or sending a streaker through the audience to distract attention. Hacking the opposition’s website or mounting a denial of service attack against their computers. Dirty tricks Gerrymandering Gaining control of the media and pretending your opponent doesn’t exist. Throwing garbage or a pie in his face. Abortion and euthanasia: using population dynamics to build a base of loyalists. Shutting the heretic up: lobotomy, imprisonment, drugs, cutting out his tongue, hiring a hit man. Crucifying the leader so the movement will come to naught. Whatever works: anything but allowing the opposition to be heard – the end justifies the means.