Doug's Darkworld

I’m big on logic and reason, and a huge part of that is recognizing and rejecting arguments based on logical fallacies. If schools taught these from an early age, the world would likely be a better place. For some people at least. That they don’t is frankly a crime. Why not give children the ability to recognize logical fallacies? Because they are out there in spades, people use them all the time to make their case. Claiming that marriage equality will lead to people marrying their pets is a slippery slope argument for example. Claiming Biden is a China controlled leftist communist is a straw man argument. There’s dozens of them, and the reason they are so popular is that if someone comes across logical fallacies in support of a position they already believe, they are very appealing. I once read an article about “ten logical fallacies scientists are prone to,” and two of the fallacies were used in the conclusion of the argument.

So yeah, logical fallacies are easy to fall into. I know some have played a role in my thinking. I catch them when I can, but they can be seductive if they reinforce what one already believes. I used to claim that the GOP and the Dems were flip sides of the same coin, but I now realize that was a false equivalency, at least as far as the contemporary evangelical Trump GOP goes. They want the Dems eliminated, we want the Trumpers to get a living wage and universal health care. Not the same.

The meme above. It’s a “does not follow” argument. If someone gleefully watches their ex’s house burn down, it doesn’t mean they set it on fire. And if the Secret Service tried to hustle Trump to safety, he can order them to stand the eff down. So no, that he watched the riot unfold in glee from Washington proves nothing. And certainly doesn’t prove he launched and directed the attack. Granted I think his speech urging his supporters on convicts him of insurrection, but the fact that he watched the Capitol riot unfold in glee doesn’t prove he planned it.

More thought on unfolding events in no particular order: Nearly a dozen ex-military men have been arrested for participating in the Capitol riot: Nearly a dozen ex-military among those arrested in connection with Capitol riot. Shame on them. They took an oath to uphold the constitution and defend the Republic. They should be stripped of any military benefits, if not charged and given retroactive dishonorable discharges.

A good read, speaks for itself: We Mock the Rioters as Ignorant Buffoons at Our Peril. Or this one: I Was Raised On the Lie of the Reluctant, Rural Insurrection. This is good too: Christian Hate Is No Faith At All.

Trump’s former secretary of state gave an interesting interview: We’re in a Worse Place Today Than We Were Before He Came In’ From the interview: “I used to go into meetings [with Trump] with a list of four to five things I needed to talk to him about, and I quickly learned that if I got to three, it was a home run, and I realized getting two that were meaningful was probably the best objective.” I was struck by the contrast to what one of Bill Clinton’s aides said about him: “You could go into his office with a list of ten things you needed his feedback on, he would listen while continuing what he was doing, then when done, he would respond to all ten items in order.” Yeah, Trump isn’t the brightest candle on the cake.

Finally, and no, I don’t really want this. Trump has said he wants a military goodbye. I’m all in favor: “Ready, Aim, Fire.” Stay safe everyone, we’re not out of the woods yet by a long shot. #StaytheFHome #WearaDamnMask #FelesRegula  #impeachtrump

Copyright © 2020 Doug Stych. All rights reserved.

(Image: from Facebook, attribution in image, used without permission, claimed as Fair Use under US copyright law.)