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OfflineEllis Dee
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Registered: 06/29/01
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Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion
    #1345556 - 03/01/03 05:38 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

Dave Koehler: 'Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion'
Date: Saturday, March 01 @ 09:03:44 EST
Topic: War & Terrorism


Fallacies and War

By Dave Koehler, PhillyBurbs.com

I love America. I feel extremely lucky to have been born in this country into a middle-class family. I get very angry when my America gets abused and my way of life challenged by the actions of the politicians running the government. For this week's column, I'm turning serious to discuss some of the empty arguments given by the current administration as a pretext for war.

When facts are not available or convenient, there are many tricks one can use to present an argument. Here are a few examples of tactics the current administration is using to convince you and the world that invading Iraq is necessary.

One of the favorite methods of the current administration is a false dilemma. This is when only two choices are given when, in reality, there are more options. Right after 9/11 you heard, "You are either with us or against us," in the fight against terrorism. Actually, countries can be both against terrorism and not an ally of the U.S. More recently, many countries are showing that they are both against a pre-emptive war and against the current Iraqi regime.



We are also hearing we must attack Iraq or Saddam will develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and threaten the world if we do nothing. Other options of monitoring with inspectors and containment are just flatly discounted. Are we to believe that Saddam could develop nuclear weapons while the world has him under a microscope?

Just recently, the President suggested the U.N. should vote for war or face irrelevance. The U.N. will not disappear just because most of its member countries disagree with George W. Bush. If debate and disagreement spelled the end of deliberative bodies, the U.S. Congress would have vanished long ago.

Another arguing device is the argument from ignorance. This involves claiming that what hasn't been disproven must be true. We hear Iraq hasn't shown that they do not have WMD, therefore they do. The real burden of proof is on the party making the claim. The U.S. and/or U.N. must prove that Iraq has WMD. It is impossible for Iraq to prove that they don't.

An argument portraying a series of increasingly bad events is called a slippery slope. This is used effectively by gun-control opponents who suggest handgun registration will eventually lead to government confiscation of all guns. On Iraq, we hear how Saddam will develop WMDs and give them to terrorists who will then use them on America. While this is one possible chain of events, it hardly justifies a pre-emptive attack on a sovereign nation.

The response to this has been that the proof or smoking gun can't be in the form of a mushroom cloud over an American city. This is more slippery slope with a false dilemma and a whole lot of fear-mongering. There are effective ways to find proof of WMD and destroy them before it comes to such a dramatic conclusion.

Criticizing a person or group instead of an issue is called an ad hominem attack. The current talk about France by many Americans is a perfect example. It is not only childish, it distracts from the real issues. France is not obligated to go along with every American idea because we saved them from Nazi Germany 60 years ago.

President Bush also often calls Saddam Hussein a murderous, evil man who can't be trusted. While true, this name-calling does not prove that Saddam has any ability to threaten the world.

Another common device we are seeing is a fallacy of exclusion. Colin Powell and President Bush have both talked about aluminum tubes being used for uranium enrichment for use in nuclear weapons. They always fail to mention that according to U.N. nuclear inspectors the tubes were actually conventional rocket artillery casings. They also mention Iraq's use of chemical weapons against Iran in the 1980's. They again leave out that we supported Iraq at that time in their war against Iran, and basically ignored the use of WMDs at that time.

Colin Powell also claimed the most recent audio tape from Osama bin Laden showed a link between al Qaeda and Iraq. They have been suggesting this since 9/11, but still haven't provided any real evidence. Osama said that he stands with the Iraqi people while referring to Hussein as an "infidel." Also, as most people know, the majority of the perpetrators of 9/11 were from our "ally" Saudi Arabia.

Arguing a claim is true based on someone being an expert on the subject is known as an appeal to authority. In our case, the experts are defectors from Iraq. Powell claimed defectors reported there were 18 mobile biological weapons labs cruising around Iraq. First, these defector's stories are suspect due to their obvious dislike of Iraq. I'm sure they would be happy to tell the U.S. what they wanted to hear if it hastened the destruction of the Iraqi regime and they could return to their homeland. More to the point, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said his men had examined some of the trucks and found them to be food-testing labs.

So, with out any real evidence, what's left? Saddam is bad?

Is that all? I realize war has become relatively easy for the US, especially when we are facing such a remarkably weak adversary and few American lives are at risk. But why war, and why now when there are still peaceful means for disarming Saddam Hussein?

Why is the Bush Administration using these deceptive techniques to rush us into a war with Iraq?

Is there any solid evidence that Iraq still processes weapons of mass destruction and has ties with terrorist groups? A few audio tapes and fuzzy satellite photos are not proof. All we hear is the same anecdotal evidence repeated over and over again.

President Bush has said that if Saddam and his generals "take innocent life, if they destroy infrastructure, they will be held accountable as war criminals." Isn't the United States about to take innocent life and destroy infrastructure?

There was immense goodwill for America after 9/11, with even a French newspaper proclaiming "We are all Americans!" Now America is viewed with suspicion, fear and anger. When millions of the world's citizens protest American aggression, why does our president just shrug?

Despite what you have been told by this administration, the ends do not justify the means. While the goals of disarming Saddam and helping Iraq become free and democratic are certainly good, war is not the right way to make that happen. There is no imminent threat and no need to throw away international law and diplomacy. We should not risk the lives of our troops and kill thousands and thousands of Iraqi men, women and children because of one man.

Sometimes war is a horrible necessity.

This is not one of those times.

(c)2003 Copyright Calkins Media, Inc.

Reprinted from PhillBurbs.com:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/
pb-dyn/news/50401.html


--------------------
"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do."-King Solomon

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

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Anonymous

Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Ellis Dee]
    #1345608 - 03/01/03 05:56 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

Another argument that has been made again and again, and is persuasive enough if you don't realize there are two sides to this story (which most people on boths sides don't seem to know).

Quote:

Just recently, the President suggested the U.N. should vote for war or face irrelevance. The U.N. will not disappear just because most of its member countries disagree with George W. Bush. If debate and disagreement spelled the end of deliberative bodies, the U.S. Congress would have vanished long ago.



The UN will become irrelevant if it votes against war - not because they will be deying America, but because they will be refusing to uphold their own sanctions and demands on Saddam.

Quote:

An argument portraying a series of increasingly bad events is called a slippery slope. This is used effectively by gun-control opponents who suggest handgun registration will eventually lead to government confiscation of all guns. On Iraq, we hear how Saddam will develop WMDs and give them to terrorists who will then use them on America. While this is one possible chain of events, it hardly justifies a pre-emptive attack on a sovereign nation.



Gun registration was the first step in disarming the public in Nazi Germany.

Quote:

Another arguing device is the argument from ignorance. This involves claiming that what hasn't been disproven must be true. We hear Iraq hasn't shown that they do not have WMD, therefore they do. The real burden of proof is on the party making the claim. The U.S. and/or U.N. must prove that Iraq has WMD. It is impossible for Iraq to prove that they don't.



Again, untrue. According to the UN, the burden of proof is on Iraq.

Quote:

Criticizing a person or group instead of an issue is called an ad hominem attack. The current talk about France by many Americans is a perfect example. It is not only childish, it distracts from the real issues. France is not obligated to go along with every American idea because we saved them from Nazi Germany 60 years ago.



Only Americans are guilty of this type of fallacy? I guess the Canadian politician about whom someone recently post didn't ever call Americans "bastards," and Europeans have never insulted our country either.

There is not a doubt in my mind that Saddam has weapons of mass destruction. Likewise, there is not a doubt in my mind that he and his family need to be removed from power. That said, I do not believe it is America's responsibility to go to war over it - this is the UN's mess, not our's. The United States has other higher priorities, the largest of which is possibly North Korea.

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Anonymous

Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Ellis Dee]
    #1345609 - 03/01/03 05:57 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

Let's burn his house down.

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InvisibleSwami
Eggshell Walker

Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Anonymous]
    #1345655 - 03/01/03 06:20 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

The UN will become irrelevant if it votes against war - not because they will be deying America, but because they will be refusing to uphold their own sanctions and demands on Saddam.

Let's not discuss other sanctions, such as those against Israel, that have not been upheld in the past.



--------------------



The proof is in the pudding.

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OfflineEllis Dee
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Registered: 06/29/01
Posts: 13,104
Loc: Fire in the sky
Last seen: 5 years, 15 days
Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Anonymous]
    #1345683 - 03/01/03 06:32 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

Gun registration was the first step in disarming the public in Nazi Germany.

I completely oppose all gun control and gun registration schemes. I agree on this.


--------------------
"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do."-King Solomon

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

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OfflineChills420 version2
Poo Pie Maker

Registered: 01/25/03
Posts: 471
Last seen: 20 years, 3 months
Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Ellis Dee]
    #1345706 - 03/01/03 06:46 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

Quote:

Gun registration was the first step in disarming the public in Nazi Germany. 




#1 reason to build ur own.
Kits cost under 150 bucks
U bend It Ak rec. 30.00

For under 200 bucks and some time U have a 100% legal gun without any paperwork on it.
Legaly u can own it , transport it, hunt with it,

The only thing u can't do is sell it.
But u can trade it :wink: (loop hole in collecting and home building law)

A few good novice kits to build r
Imbel FAL  Shoots a 308 NATO round
AK-47  Lots of parts and ammo around
AK-74  Sprays alot better without the muzzle lift
AR-15 << somewhat costly but all in all a good gun( untill it gets dirty then it jams like jelly) 

EDIT Forgot the best 1 

Colt T1911 There buildable however U will have to buy a 80% frame and finish it up with a drill press and drimel


--------------------

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.


Edited by Chills420 version2 (03/01/03 06:47 PM)

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Invisibleangryshroom
Stranger
 User Gallery

Registered: 12/18/01
Posts: 7,264
Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Ellis Dee]
    #1345724 - 03/01/03 06:57 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

In response to your article, I really enjoyed reading it. I would have to say I agree with the writer quite a bit here... I think he makes some very interesting and important facts.

Thanks for sharing! :smile:

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Anonymous

Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Swami]
    #1345891 - 03/01/03 10:12 PM (21 years, 1 month ago)

[crunch crunch crunch]

Say, this Red Herring tastes pickled. Is that you?

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OfflineBowlKiller
----
Registered: 09/22/02
Posts: 757
Last seen: 19 years, 4 months
Re: Misleading a nervous America to the wrong conclusion [Re: Chills420 version2]
    #1350231 - 03/04/03 01:33 PM (21 years, 30 days ago)

to arms!


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