LOGIC. THE NEED TO EDUCATE, AND MAKE IT THE ENEMY OF IRRATIONAL, SELF-CENTERED, AND PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. PT 3.

THE UNSUPPORTED CONCLUSION/BASELESS ASSERTION.

ANY STATEMENT, PHRASE,OR DECLARATION THAT IMPLIES

AN ETHICAL\MORAL, LEGAL, SOCIAL OR ECONOMIC JUDGMENT

THAT HAS NO  PROPER FOUNDATION THAT CAN WITHSTAND 

COMPREHENSIVE RATIONAL OR CRITICAL ANALYSIS.

LET US LOOK AT A FEW EXAMPLES:

"THE ECONOMY IS IN TROUBLE, WE NEED TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION."

"WE ARE WEAK AS A NATION, OUR FOREIGN POLICY DOESN'T SCARE 

OUR ENEMIES."

"IF WE HAVE GUN CONTROL, ONLY THE CRIMINALS WILL HAVE THEM."

AS YOU SEE WITH THE ABOVE EXAMPLES, THEY ARE SIMPLISTIC PHRASES THAT USUALLY LACK;

-  SPECIFIC STATISTICS, AND/OR COMPARISONS WITH PAST DATA.

-  CONTEXT, OR JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR USAGE IN SOME INSTANCES,

   AND NOT IN OTHERS.

-  AN EXPLANATION FOR THE USAGE OF INFLAMMATORY WORDS THAT CAN BE DEFINED AND USED SO AMBIGUOUSLY THAT THEY HAVE NO INTELLECTUAL VALUE, AND DO NOTHING TO EXPLAIN OR DEFINE ANY OPINION OR POINT OF FACT THAT THE SPEAKER IS TRYING TO MAKE. 

 WORDS SUCH AS- "WEAK", "SCARE", "TROUBLE", "WELFARE", 

 "CONTROL"  "DANGER", "ENEMY", "VICTIM", AND ON AND ON...   

IF YOU ARE A POLITICIAN WITH NO REAL CONCEPTION, OR DESIRE, TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE ELECTORATE AS A WHOLE, YOU TURN TO TIME WORN PHRASES LIKE THESE. SO WHY DO THEY WORK?

WE'LL GET INTO THAT IN THE FUTURE, BUT REMEMBER THE SALESMANS

MAXIM:  

         "IT'S NOT THE DEAL THE CUSTOMERS IS GETTING THAT IS                         

          IMPORTANT, IT IS THE DEAL THEY THINK THEY ARE GETTING."

         JUST SUBSTITUTE "CANDIDATE" FOR "DEAL", AND "VOTER" FOR
         "CUSTOMER."

HMMMM... THE TRUE SECRET TO GETTING ELECTED?