The Heckler's Veto

[billroper]

The idea that you can silence a speaker by shouting him down is a poor one. Aside from the possibility of this leading to Mutual Assured Destruction, there's also the problem that you may well convey to the speaker's supporters -- and worse, those who may be thinking about supporting him -- that if his message is so threatening to the shouters, it might well be attractive to them.

Comments

[capplor.livejournal.com]

I disagree. I've been shouted down many a time, and I had arguments, but the person doing the shouting didn't have the patience or forbearance to let me express them in any but the most volatile, or cursory, manner.

An act I generally try top avoid.

[madfilkentist]

You've got a point. The one doing the shouting down can try to draw you into a trap where you lose patience and express your position badly, and then others may conclude you don't have good arguments. The best thing is probably to ignore people like that as long as it's possible, but I seriously doubt I'd be able to carry it off against a hostile faction.

In the long run, though, people who shout down their opponents show that that's all they have to offer.