I’ve spent years arguing with people online and really have nothing to show for it aside from my own education and amusement. I was radicalized by discovering r/chapotraphouse back in 2018 I think. Nobody argued with me there, I just lurked, loved the memes, thought it was the funniest place online, then started reading theory because so many people there talked about it. Even though liberals are obviously ignorant about communism, their ignorance is willful: they never thank us for educating them, they always get angry and double-down. (In real life, it’s much easier to embarrass them and get them to shut up.) Still, I admit that it’s possible to change someone’s mind in an online debate, I just haven’t seen it happen when it comes to communism (libs on r/changemyview can change their minds about lib shit). Have you ever seen a lib admit that they were wrong about communism?
People don’t like to say “I’m wrong” because argument has a battle-like element as well as a truth-seeking element.
Debate on the internet might convince a 3rd person reader even if not the opponent. The audience, not the debater.
It’s also possible that I’ve planted seeds of realisation in the person, and they’ve silently stopped answering, but the process of changing their view was pushed along.
I also believe in the lurkers watching our debates, but I sometimes wonder if they don’t actually exist since they never support my arguments with likes or upvotes. They could still be out there but…