 |
|
Find the logical fallacies.
Posted on: August 20, 2025 at 08:52:36 CT
TigerMatt STL
Posts:
98822
Member For:
26.58 yrs
Level:
User
M.O.B. Votes:
0
The article contains several logical fallacies. Here are the most prominent ones:
Ad Hominem
The author frequently attacks the character of opponents rather than addressing their arguments. This is a common tactic used to discredit an opponent's position by attacking their personality, motive, or other personal traits.
* The author dismisses the opposition to Trump's actions by calling them "white pampered liberals" and "white privileged elitists."
* He also attacks Al Sharpton and other "rotters" in the media, accusing them of "aiding and abetting the murder of black people" and siding with criminals.
* The author uses a hypothetical example of Maureen Dowd to attack her views by insinuating she only understands crime after her sister is affected.
* The article claims that "white privileged elitists hated Rudy too" to discredit the current opposition to Trump.
Strawman
The author misrepresents the arguments of those who oppose Trump’s policies to make them easier to attack.
* The article claims that "liberals are lying about the Guards saying soldiers are just trained killers." This oversimplifies and distorts the concerns that many have about the use of military police in a domestic law enforcement role.
* It also misrepresents the argument of Senator Chris Van Hollen, who stated that "crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low and a downward trajectory." The author twists this into a claim that liberals don't care about the high murder rate, when the senator was arguing that the emergency was "manufactured."
* The article simplifies the motives of protesters, claiming they are protesting "black communities becoming as safe as white communities" because "safe black communities threaten the chaos of crime that empowers Democrats."
Hasty Generalization
This fallacy involves making a broad claim based on a small or unrepresentative sample of evidence.
* The author generalizes the views of all "white people" or "white Democrats" based on the actions of a few protesters.
* The article claims that only white people are protesting Trump's actions, which is a significant overstatement and ignores the diversity of political views.
* The author uses a single tweet from James Laverty and another from Katie Pavlich as evidence that D.C. has become safer, rather than relying on broader, more conclusive data.
False Dichotomy
This fallacy presents only two options or outcomes when there are more possibilities. It forces a choice between two extremes, ignoring the middle ground.
* The article presents a false choice between either supporting Trump's actions or siding with criminals. It implies that if you oppose the president's use of the National Guard, you must not care about crime or black lives.
* It suggests that either you believe the federal intervention is a "manufactured emergency" or you believe that D.C.'s home rule has been a complete failure for 52 years.
Appeal to Emotion
The author tries to sway the reader by using emotionally charged language rather than logical reasoning.
* The article includes a story about a carjacking, using vivid details like "half-eaten pizza, grape soda cans, fast-food wrappers, a used condom and a couple of debit cards," to evoke anger and disgust.
* The author uses emotionally loaded terms like "rotters," "vagrants," and "junkies."
* The story about a carjacking in Georgetown is used to stir sympathy for the victim and anger toward the perpetrators and the D.C. Council, rather than to make a logical argument.
Appeal to Authority
The author uses the opinions of people who are not experts on the topic to support their argument.
* The article relies on a tweet from "Tony Seruga" to provide data on the protesters, but there is no context as to who he is or how he obtained the data.
* The article uses statements from Newsmax and tweets from Katie Pavlich and James Laverty to support its claims, without considering the potential for bias or lack of expertise.
Cherry-Picking (or Confirmation Bias)
The author selectively uses data that supports their argument while ignoring or downplaying contradictory information.
* The article uses crime statistics from a specific time frame (after the federal intervention) to show a reduction in crime, but it ignores the D.C. police's own statistics and the overall downward trend cited by Senator Van Hollen. The author presents the crime drop as a direct result of Trump's actions, ignoring other potential factors.
Slippery Slope
The article suggests that a relatively minor action will lead to a chain of events with a significant and often negative outcome.
* The author quotes Maureen Dowd's concerns that the use of National Guard troops "raises the specter of martial law being normalized and weaponized." The article then dismisses this concern as an irrational fear, without acknowledging the valid point that the use of military in a civilian role could set a dangerous precedent.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
This fallacy, which means "after this, therefore because of this," assumes that because one event happened after another, the first event must have caused the second.
* The article attributes the drop in crime rates to Trump's actions simply because the crime drop happened after the federal intervention. It concludes that "52 hours of Trump rule has" succeeded where "52 years of home rule has failed" without considering other factors or statistical analysis.
Edited by TigerMatt at 08:53:22 on 08/20/25
Ad Hominem
The author frequently attacks the character of opponents rather than addressing their arguments. This is a common tactic used to discredit an opponent's position by attacking their personality, motive, or other personal traits.
* The author dismisses the opposition to Trump's actions by calling them "white pampered liberals" and "white privileged elitists."
* He also attacks Al Sharpton and other "rotters" in the media, accusing them of "aiding and abetting the murder of black people" and siding with criminals.
* The author uses a hypothetical example of Maureen Dowd to attack her views by insinuating she only understands crime after her sister is affected.
* The article claims that "white privileged elitists hated Rudy too" to discredit the current opposition to Trump.
Strawman
The author misrepresents the arguments of those who oppose Trump’s policies to make them easier to attack.
* The article claims that "liberals are lying about the Guards saying soldiers are just trained killers." This oversimplifies and distorts the concerns that many have about the use of military police in a domestic law enforcement role.
* It also misrepresents the argument of Senator Chris Van Hollen, who stated that "crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low and a downward trajectory." The author twists this into a claim that liberals don't care about the high murder rate, when the senator was arguing that the emergency was "manufactured."
* The article simplifies the motives of protesters, claiming they are protesting "black communities becoming as safe as white communities" because "safe black communities threaten the chaos of crime that empowers Democrats."
Hasty Generalization
This fallacy involves making a broad claim based on a small or unrepresentative sample of evidence.
* The author generalizes the views of all "white people" or "white Democrats" based on the actions of a few protesters.
* The article claims that only white people are protesting Trump's actions, which is a significant overstatement and ignores the diversity of political views.
* The author uses a single tweet from James Laverty and another from Katie Pavlich as evidence that D.C. has become safer, rather than relying on broader, more conclusive data.
False Dichotomy
This fallacy presents only two options or outcomes when there are more possibilities. It forces a choice between two extremes, ignoring the middle ground.
* The article presents a false choice between either supporting Trump's actions or siding with criminals. It implies that if you oppose the president's use of the National Guard, you must not care about crime or black lives.
* It suggests that either you believe the federal intervention is a "manufactured emergency" or you believe that D.C.'s home rule has been a complete failure for 52 years.
Appeal to Emotion
The author tries to sway the reader by using emotionally charged language rather than logical reasoning.
* The article includes a story about a carjacking, using vivid details like "half-eaten pizza, grape soda cans, fast-food wrappers, a used condom and a couple of debit cards," to evoke anger and disgust.
* The author uses emotionally loaded terms like "rotters," "vagrants," and "junkies."
* The story about a carjacking in Georgetown is used to stir sympathy for the victim and anger toward the perpetrators and the D.C. Council, rather than to make a logical argument.
Appeal to Authority
The author uses the opinions of people who are not experts on the topic to support their argument.
* The article relies on a tweet from "Tony Seruga" to provide data on the protesters, but there is no context as to who he is or how he obtained the data.
* The article uses statements from Newsmax and tweets from Katie Pavlich and James Laverty to support its claims, without considering the potential for bias or lack of expertise.
Cherry-Picking (or Confirmation Bias)
The author selectively uses data that supports their argument while ignoring or downplaying contradictory information.
* The article uses crime statistics from a specific time frame (after the federal intervention) to show a reduction in crime, but it ignores the D.C. police's own statistics and the overall downward trend cited by Senator Van Hollen. The author presents the crime drop as a direct result of Trump's actions, ignoring other potential factors.
Slippery Slope
The article suggests that a relatively minor action will lead to a chain of events with a significant and often negative outcome.
* The author quotes Maureen Dowd's concerns that the use of National Guard troops "raises the specter of martial law being normalized and weaponized." The article then dismisses this concern as an irrational fear, without acknowledging the valid point that the use of military in a civilian role could set a dangerous precedent.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
This fallacy, which means "after this, therefore because of this," assumes that because one event happened after another, the first event must have caused the second.
* The article attributes the drop in crime rates to Trump's actions simply because the crime drop happened after the federal intervention. It concludes that "52 hours of Trump rule has" succeeded where "52 years of home rule has failed" without considering other factors or statistical analysis.
Edited by TigerMatt at 08:53:22 on 08/20/25
Please explain why this message is being reported.
MESSAGE THREAD
Find the logical fallacies. - TigerMatt STL - 8/20 08:52:36