1) Relate your story
Tell your story with a clear beginning, middle and end. Make the story as compelling as possible. Make the protagonists look really heroic, and your adversaries positively villainous. Exaggerate your main points for the maximum emotional effect. Ignore anything that might contradict your story.
2) Ignore
If someone starts to poke holes in your story, ignore them. They might go away or give up if given no satisfactory answers. Don’t take their calls. Pretend you are at an important meeting, or you are out playing golf. If you have to, them you will respond soon. Don’t bother to.
3) Ridicule
If they persist in attacking your story, laugh at them. Go for the jugular. Tell them they haven’t either the knowledge nor the wit to understand. Impugn their motives. Call them close-minded. Make them out to be in the pay of someone. Threaten them.
4) Obfuscate
If other people are now listening, pretend that’s not what you meant, that you were quoted out of context. Exaggerate minor truths to major importance. Minimise the importance of your major points. Appeal to any authority you can find. Appeal to tradition. Appeal to their emotions. Find anecdotal evidence that fits your argument. Throw as many curveballs at them as you possibly can.
5) Justify
If your argument is now falling apart, start to justify your motives with gusto. Blame your enemies. Blame your friends. Blame the media. Blame the polical establishment. Blame the woeful lack of standards in education. Make yourself out to be the victim of a plot. Bring in the effect on your family wherever possible. Go on a drinking binge. Get caught.
6) Oh yeah. That.
Admit you were wrong.
Say, here’s an idea. Why not not go from 1) to 6) directly? You might earn some self respect while actually learning something.
Passive Impressions 
have you seen the TED talk on leadership by ex-Ranger Brigadier Stanley McChrystal? I’ve posted it on my blog – enjoy! Sadly, I doubt whichever eejit’s latest nonsense prompted your post will see it, but you never know…
Thanks for the video link. I recently read Carol Tavris’ book “Mistakes were made, but not by me” that detailed the extent of gamesmanship employed by people – particularly intelligent, powerful people – to deny and suppress evidence to the contrary that was put before them. I think that this posting in particular might have been prompted by George Montbiot’s extraordinary posting yesterday on the anti-nuclear movement.