10-22-2004, 03:17 PM
i don't know anything about 'central washington university', but I believe the poly sci part, cause this guy never took a logic class, thats for sure . .
I will now rip apart his argument, bit by bit =>
[size 1]First, we will reject the notion that America can do big things. Once a nation that tamed a frontier, stood down the Nazis and stood upon the moon, we will announce to the world that bringing democracy to the Middle East is too big of a task for us.[/size]
[size 1][/size]
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the author uses his own definition of 'big things', namely bringing democracy to the middle east. this is a fallacy of defintion 'too narrow'
[url "http://datanation.com/fallacies/define/narrow.htm"]http://datanation.com/fallacies/define/narrow.htm[/url]
some of our citizens have just built a working spacecraft with private money, we have advances in science every day. He doesnt mention we fought to a draw in korea, lost the war in vietnam, ect.
[size 1]The defeat of President Bush will send a chilling message to future presidents who may need to make difficult, yet unpopular decisions[/size]
this is a fallacy of 'appeal to consequences'
[url "http://datanation.com/fallacies/conseq.htm"]http://datanation.com/fallacies/conseq.htm[/url]
how in the hell can he predict the future? presidents have always made unpopular decisions, if they're unpopular enough, we vote him out, thats the way it works!
[size 1]America has always been a nation that rises to the demands of history regardless of the costs or appeal. [/size]
this barely makes sense at all, but ill try . . we routinely have denied various people's cries for help around the world throughout our history - have you seen U.S. military invading african nations involved in mass racial genocide in recent years? Was america 'rising to the demands of history' when douglas mac arthur attacked world war I vets assembled in washington dc during the depression, who were there to demand their promised world war I pensions? Or when doctors in tuskegee purposely didnt cure the syphillis in their patients for over 30 years, so as to study the way it completely breaks down a person's nervous system over the years? How about Kent State?
[size 1]Second, we inform every terrorist organization on the globe that the lesson of Somalia was well-learned. In Somalia we showed terrorists that you don't need to defeat America on the battlefield when you can defeat them in the newsroom.[/size]
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why does the defeat of bush equate with events that occurrred with warlords in somalia years and years ago ??? And the newsroom/cnn crack?
[size 1]Bin Laden will recognize that he can topple any American administration without setting foot on the homeland. [/size]
this is a fallacy of prejudicial language - bin laden, topple, homeland
[url "http://datanation.com/fallacies/pl.htm"]http://datanation.com/fallacies/pl.htm[/url]
bin laden is not toppling an administration, the citizens of the U.S. are voting out a shortsighted boob
this is obviously another conservative nut that uses 'scare tactics', just like the bush talking heads and conservative radio echo chamber - if you vote kerry he'll raise your taxes, he'll hand over the military to the U.N., he get rid of all Intelligence funding, ect ect
please everybody try to see through the lies of the Republicans, and vote for sense, vote for workers and womens rights, vote Kerry!
sm
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I will now rip apart his argument, bit by bit =>
[size 1]First, we will reject the notion that America can do big things. Once a nation that tamed a frontier, stood down the Nazis and stood upon the moon, we will announce to the world that bringing democracy to the Middle East is too big of a task for us.[/size]
[size 1][/size]
[size 1][/size]
the author uses his own definition of 'big things', namely bringing democracy to the middle east. this is a fallacy of defintion 'too narrow'
[url "http://datanation.com/fallacies/define/narrow.htm"]http://datanation.com/fallacies/define/narrow.htm[/url]
some of our citizens have just built a working spacecraft with private money, we have advances in science every day. He doesnt mention we fought to a draw in korea, lost the war in vietnam, ect.
[size 1]The defeat of President Bush will send a chilling message to future presidents who may need to make difficult, yet unpopular decisions[/size]
this is a fallacy of 'appeal to consequences'
[url "http://datanation.com/fallacies/conseq.htm"]http://datanation.com/fallacies/conseq.htm[/url]
how in the hell can he predict the future? presidents have always made unpopular decisions, if they're unpopular enough, we vote him out, thats the way it works!
[size 1]America has always been a nation that rises to the demands of history regardless of the costs or appeal. [/size]
this barely makes sense at all, but ill try . . we routinely have denied various people's cries for help around the world throughout our history - have you seen U.S. military invading african nations involved in mass racial genocide in recent years? Was america 'rising to the demands of history' when douglas mac arthur attacked world war I vets assembled in washington dc during the depression, who were there to demand their promised world war I pensions? Or when doctors in tuskegee purposely didnt cure the syphillis in their patients for over 30 years, so as to study the way it completely breaks down a person's nervous system over the years? How about Kent State?
[size 1]Second, we inform every terrorist organization on the globe that the lesson of Somalia was well-learned. In Somalia we showed terrorists that you don't need to defeat America on the battlefield when you can defeat them in the newsroom.[/size]
[size 1][/size]
[size 1][/size]
why does the defeat of bush equate with events that occurrred with warlords in somalia years and years ago ??? And the newsroom/cnn crack?
[size 1]Bin Laden will recognize that he can topple any American administration without setting foot on the homeland. [/size]
this is a fallacy of prejudicial language - bin laden, topple, homeland
[url "http://datanation.com/fallacies/pl.htm"]http://datanation.com/fallacies/pl.htm[/url]
bin laden is not toppling an administration, the citizens of the U.S. are voting out a shortsighted boob
this is obviously another conservative nut that uses 'scare tactics', just like the bush talking heads and conservative radio echo chamber - if you vote kerry he'll raise your taxes, he'll hand over the military to the U.N., he get rid of all Intelligence funding, ect ect
please everybody try to see through the lies of the Republicans, and vote for sense, vote for workers and womens rights, vote Kerry!
sm
[signature]