https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought-terminating_cliché

As the party fielded more and more candidates who championed economic-right policies in order to attract corporate donations, the idea of “purity testing” was turned into a stock phrase to attack critics using labels, instead of justifying it on its own terms.

Phrases like “moral purity” now serve two functions: firstly, to dismiss criticisms from the Left wholesale without having to discuss them directly, and secondly, to blame them for the rise of fascism.

In theory it was also supposed to serve a third function of bullying the Left into voting Democrat, but that didn’t work.

  • skisnow@lemmy.caOP
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    19 hours ago

    Is there a word for when someone thinks they’re arguing against something, but are really just providing a live demonstration of it?

    As thought-terminating clichés go, “Shut up and stop arguing” is as pretty much as on-the-nose as it gets.