"I appreciate your concerns."

There is a rhetorical trick in what is supposed to be persuasive dialogue.

Person A who supports the positions and actions of the party in power concludes his argument by saying, “I appreciate your concerns. It is too bad you are not willing to meet me half way. By the way, we will continue to do things my way.”

Not only has Person B lost the argument, but he is supposed to be so stupid he does not see that it was all about power in the first place.

I spent an interminable number of years in corporate America watching the trick being used. I even became quite good at it myself. Those with a minimal amount of experience soon learned to disregard the ploy. One waited for the train to run off the tracks to prove one’s point. It is far more difficult to lift the train back on the tracks after it has run off rather than steer it in the right direction in the first place. Sometimes the fools who often wield power will have it no other way.

When it comes to events such as the Iraq War, the stakes grow higher. One should be on one’s guard against this trick, and play a little smack down with it. During persuasion and negotiation, half way is about actions and consequences. Politeness is often the biggest subterfuge of all.