Comments on: Raising the bar on patriotism http://asoftanswer.com/2008/09/21/raising-the-bar-on-patriotism/ an unseemly mix of politics and Mormonism Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:25:07 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: David H. Sundwall http://asoftanswer.com/2008/09/21/raising-the-bar-on-patriotism/comment-page-1/#comment-4875 David H. Sundwall Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:12:00 +0000 http://www.asoftanswer.com/?p=1515#comment-4875 I don't think either assertion are normal for people who disagree with me and didn't say so. I think both lunatics (Biden and the ethicist) aren't taken too seriously (most people don't offer to pay more taxes voluntarily and yet are still patriotic) but I found the common sentiment interesting. That "ethicist" may be your random kook but too many ethicist are sounding more and more kooky and I find it a little alarming that someone who should be taken seriously can credibly express such an idea. More troubling than a random propane explosion. A word of warning: my posts can be sort of tongue-in-cheek and shouldn't be taken as blanket condemnations of those who may disagree with me (as ill-advised as that is). You're certainly right that there are plenty of wing-nuts who may be on my political "side." I'd like to think I can disagree and denounce them for the kooks they are too. I don’t think either assertion are normal for people who disagree with me and didn’t say so. I think both lunatics (Biden and the ethicist) aren’t taken too seriously (most people don’t offer to pay more taxes voluntarily and yet are still patriotic) but I found the common sentiment interesting.

That “ethicist” may be your random kook but too many ethicist are sounding more and more kooky and I find it a little alarming that someone who should be taken seriously can credibly express such an idea. More troubling than a random propane explosion.

A word of warning: my posts can be sort of tongue-in-cheek and shouldn’t be taken as blanket condemnations of those who may disagree with me (as ill-advised as that is).

You’re certainly right that there are plenty of wing-nuts who may be on my political “side.” I’d like to think I can disagree and denounce them for the kooks they are too.

]]> By: David B http://asoftanswer.com/2008/09/21/raising-the-bar-on-patriotism/comment-page-1/#comment-4874 David B Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:02:04 +0000 http://www.asoftanswer.com/?p=1515#comment-4874 Is it a legitimate concern? Sure--but so is the possibility that the propane tank on my neighbor's grill will blow up (despite the fact that it gets taken care of properly, as far as i can tell), damaging that wall of my house. In other words, it's something that's possible, but unlikely to the point of nearly impossible. What you're doing is quoting a single lunatic, and making it sound like that person is taking the normal position that someone who disagrees with you has. This makes it into not an illegitimate concern, but rather an illegitimate point for debate. If you want to avoid such fallacies, you at least need to include a (sincere!) acknowledgment that such positions aren't the norm for people proposing or supporting (depending on whether their jurisdiction has it) universal health care. Of course, if you're gonna insist on setting up strawmen like this, i can think of some right-wing lunatics i could start quoting... :-) Is it a legitimate concern? Sure–but so is the possibility that the propane tank on my neighbor’s grill will blow up (despite the fact that it gets taken care of properly, as far as i can tell), damaging that wall of my house. In other words, it’s something that’s possible, but unlikely to the point of nearly impossible.

What you’re doing is quoting a single lunatic, and making it sound like that person is taking the normal position that someone who disagrees with you has. This makes it into not an illegitimate concern, but rather an illegitimate point for debate.

If you want to avoid such fallacies, you at least need to include a (sincere!) acknowledgment that such positions aren’t the norm for people proposing or supporting (depending on whether their jurisdiction has it) universal health care.

Of course, if you’re gonna insist on setting up strawmen like this, i can think of some right-wing lunatics i could start quoting… :-)

]]> By: David H. Sundwall http://asoftanswer.com/2008/09/21/raising-the-bar-on-patriotism/comment-page-1/#comment-4873 David H. Sundwall Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:43:33 +0000 http://www.asoftanswer.com/?p=1515#comment-4873 David - I'm not saying it's definitely going to happen here. But how does calling it a strawman argument make it less of a legitimate concern? (I'm not that up on my logical fallacies I guess). David –

I’m not saying it’s definitely going to happen here.

But how does calling it a strawman argument make it less of a legitimate concern? (I’m not that up on my logical fallacies I guess).

]]> By: David B http://asoftanswer.com/2008/09/21/raising-the-bar-on-patriotism/comment-page-1/#comment-4869 David B Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:36:35 +0000 http://www.asoftanswer.com/?p=1515#comment-4869 Strawman, yes? Yes. Strawman, yes? Yes.

]]> By: NOYDMB http://asoftanswer.com/2008/09/21/raising-the-bar-on-patriotism/comment-page-1/#comment-4867 NOYDMB Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:53:20 +0000 http://www.asoftanswer.com/?p=1515#comment-4867 Yet another reason why we shouldn't want the government choosing who gets what kind of health care. Yet another reason why we shouldn’t want the government choosing who gets what kind of health care.

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