Yesterday I posted something on Facebook about libertarians being losers.

A man named Joe showed up in the comments to defend the libertarian frame against my attack on it.

He didn't argue with my points. He didn't refute anything specifically. He just performed contempt for the challenge.

His first comment: "That's a compelling argument for totalitarianism. Very demoralizing. I guess we are locked in to the degenerative spiral. Good luck everyone."

Read it carefully... He wasn't conceding my argument was compelling. He was sarcastically equating "stop being prey" with "embrace totalitarianism", the standard libertarian deflection when someone suggests using power to fight back.

I replied... invited him to the list to hear me out... he came back...

"I'm not interested in hearing that trash every day."

I replied again... told him he can unsubscribe anytime... he came back again.

"Oh I'm here to engage. I'm not signing up for your email though. That is a waste of time."

Three comments. Three returns. Zero engagement with the actual argument.

Here's what Joe was actually doing.

Joe wasn't talking to me. He was performing for the other libertarians watching the thread. He was signaling to them that my challenge could be dismissed, that nobody had to take this seriously, that the collective frame was safe.

That's how the loser frame defends itself. Not with arguments. With public contempt. Performed by people who never actually have to engage.

I'm not telling you this to dunk on Joe. Joe is fine. Joe is normal. Joe is doing exactly what the libertarian frame trains you to do when somebody challenges it.