NPC Meme

ALL SLOGANS ARE COMPLEX ISSUES BOILED DOWN INTO ONE PHRASE, THAT’S LITERALLY WHAT A SLOGAN IS. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “BUILD A WALL” AND “SCIENCE IS REAL,” IS THAT ONE OF THOSE IS A STARTING POINT FOR A CONVERSATION ON THAT COMPLEX ISSUE AND ONE OF THEM ISN’T. THAT’S THE ENTIRE POINT. IF SOMEONE SAYS “BUILD A WALL,” AND I ASKED “WHY?” THEN WE WOULD NATURALLY PROGRESS INTO A CONVERSATION ON THE MERITS OF A BORDER WALL AND THE ROLE THAT PLAYS IN THE ISSUE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. BUT IF SOMEONE SAYS “SCIENCE IS REAL,” THAT’S A NON-STARTER. YOU CAN’T ASK “WHY?” BECAUSE IT ISN’T A POLITICAL POSITION, IT’S JUST A VAGUE STATEMENT OF FACT THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISAGREE WITH, LET ALONE EXPAND ON. IT’S A SLOGAN THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED SO THAT YOU CANT EXPAND IT INTO A DISCUSSION, BECAUSE IT’S VERY PREMISE IS THAT ONE PERSON IS RIGHT AND ONE PERSON IS DELUSIONAL. IT’S A POLITICAL ESCAPE HATCH THAT ALLOWS YOU TO VIRTUE SIGNAL WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO CONFRONT THE MERITS OF THE TOPIC. THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT OF THE NPC MEME, AND WHY IT DOESN’T APPLY TO THE EXAMPLE YOU PROVIDED. IT’S POKING FUN AT THE TYPE OF INSUBSTANTIAL SLOGANEERING THAT WOULD BE FITTING FOR A RANDOM LINE YOU WOULD HEAR FROM A BYPASSING NPC IN A VIDEO GAME, RATHER THAN SOMETHING THAT WOULD ENGAGE YOUR CHARACTER IN A PLOT-MOVING DIALOGUE. "BUILD THE WALL" IS JUST AS REDUCTIONIST AS "SCIENCE IS REAL"; I GUESS YOU MISSED THE PART WHERE SCIENCE IS REAL