Fallacies…. on the internet?
The title to this post is obviously a sarcastic one. Go ahead and pick a random youtube video and you will undoubtedly find a few trolls being as inflammatory as possible, infuriating people with their flawed arguments and persistence. We can hope that these methods of argument don’t find their way into more formal online political analysis, but the reality is that people are free to say almost whatever they want, and there usually aren’t editors looking out for flawed arguements.
Let us pause to pay homage to THE KING OF FALLACIES himself, Mr. Glenn Beck
Logical Fallacy: If something can happen or has happened, then it will happen.
http://www.herringpost.blogspot.ca/2012/03/president-obama-executive-order.html
This blog post is in regards to Obama’s signing of a bill that allows for executive control over all natural resources in time of emergency. The crux of the argument being made is that because of the precedent of Lincoln and Wilson usurping similar powers and dictatorially holding the economy hostage, the result of Obama’s bill will be the same. “The economy of the United States is based on the free flow of resources, energy, and the rights of consumers to buy and sell as they see fit. Any interference in this economic process quickly leads to shortages, rising prices, and civil unrest.” Just because this happened to Lincoln and Wilson and there is the theoretical possibility of it occurring does in no way guarantee the same result. The flawed logic is as follows,
If A –> Z
and B –> Z
then C –> Z
Rhetorical Fallacy: Slippery Slope
http://conservativeblogscentral.blogspot.ca/2012/03/repealing-obamacare.html
I attack conservative blogs probably because they provide me with the most ammunition. This particular post essentially draws a line of logical conclusions between the passing of Obamacare to needing to sell Washington State, Oregon, and California to China to pay the bill. This connection is absolutely ludicrous. His rhetorical chain tells this story:
Obamacare –> more $$$ power to politicians –> politicians get drunk on power –> do not repeal obamacare –> spend too much on healthcare –> getting into foreign debt –> China calls in that debt, immediately, on pain of war –> depletion of already low public purse –> need to sell various states to China to cover debt.
I shake my head at this man’s attempt to make healthcare into a contributor to Chinese invasion. facepalm. he tries to tell us that by passing Obamacare, we have just pushed ourselves onto that slippery slope that will have us speaking Mandarin in 50 years. He doesn’t even think that this is taking it a bit too far, “No, it is NOT FUNNY. It’s not much of an exaggeration, either. “
Sorry, this is really funny. And it is a massive exaggeration. If I read this elsewhere, I would think it is a satire, or a draft script for the Colbert Report.