LOGIC. HOW CAN YOU SPOT A WELL REASONED ARGUMENT, OR AN IRRATIONAL ONE? PT 1.

It may be a Local Politician, Co-Worker, Friend, or even a Family Member. Yet, it is Inevitable that occasionally someone you know will Voice an Opinion about an Issue that will be in Direct Conflict with your own.  What should you do? What is at Stake if you Decide to Open up and be Honest?  Before you Decide, try to go through the Following Process, and see what Answer it leads you to. 

1.  Is the Subject Matter of Such Importance that it must be Addressed Immediately?-  What is Important to You, Friends and Family, may not really matter to others.  Pick your Battles.  If You have an Opinion on a Subject, but it lies in conflict with Others, is the Disagreement so Vast that you are willing to make a Stand Then and There?  Can it wait for a Different Time and Place?  What Do You Gain, or Lose, by Postponing such a Discussion?

2.  Many Times it is Better to say NOTHING AT ALL, LET THE SPEAKER MAKE THE CASE FOR YOUR SIDE OF AN ISSUE.-  Are you Familiar with the Saying:   

                 "BETTER TO BE THOUGHT A FOOL, THAN TO OPEN YOUR 

                  MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT."   

How Many Times have you been present at a Gathering or Event, where Someone Attending is making a Fool of Themselves, Blurting out Meaningless Drivel that has everyone Rolling Their Eyes and Walking Away.  If it is within a group of Fairly Well- Informed People, They will see the Individual for what He Is;  Ill-Informed, Ignorant, and Lacking the Basic Skills for Intellectual Discourse.  No Opinion They Offer will be Taken Seriously, and Hopefully, it is on the Opposite Side of an Issue that you land on.

3.  The Most Important Disagreements to Confront Immediately are Deliberate Falsehoods and Bad Information-  Before you can point out an IRRATIONAL AND INVALID ARGUMENT, MAKE SURE THE SPEAKER CAN BACK UP ANY FACTS AND FIGURES THEY ARE STATING AS FACT.  Don't point out the Flaws in the REASONING AND STRUCTURE OF THEIR ARGUMENT, AND IGNORE ANY MISINFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE PREMISES.  THEY CAN JUST REFORMULATE THE ARGUMENT TO MAKE IT VALID, BUT IT MAY STILL CONTAIN THE SAME FACTUAL FLAWS.

HERE IS A BASIC EXAMPLE;

ALL ROTTWEILERS ARE VICIOUS DOGS.

SPOT IS A  VICIOUS DOG.

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

THEREFORE, SPOT IS A ROTTWEILER.

This is an INVALID ARGUMENT.  SPOT MAY 

BE A VICIOUS DOG, BUT ANY BREED OF DOG 

CAN BECOME VICIOUS, IT IS NOT A BEHAVIOR 

EXCLUSIVE TO THE ROTTWEILER.

TO MAKE IT A VALID ARGUMENT, IT IS CHANGED

TO THIS;

ALL ROTTWEILERS ARE VICIOUS DOGS.

SPOT IS A ROTTWEILER.

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

THEREFORE, SPOT IS A VICIOUS DOG.

NOW THE ARGUMENT IS LOGICALLY VALID.

HOWEVER, THE BASIS OF TRUTH FOR THE CONCLUSION

THAT SPOT IS VICIOUS, LIES IN THE PREMISE THAT 

ALL ROTTWEILERS ARE VICIOUS. THAT IS A FACTUAL

CLAIM THAT MUST BE BACKED UP WITH PROPER

DATA.

HUMILIATION TELEVISION; IT DOESN'T GET ANY LOWER THAN THIS. PT 1.

Television is many things. It can be used to inform, teach and educate. 

However, let us not fool ourselves. It is primarily a business and profit is its’ ultimate goal. Those profits can be found in Televisions primary mission; to entertain.

                                                   
Throughout broadcast history, T.V networks have provided a vast selection of different categories to entertain the viewing public.  Sit-coms, police and detective dramas, science fiction and soap operas etc. are examples of fictional or scripted shows.  News shows such as 60 minutes, 20/20, Dateline etc. are examples of non-fiction informative programming.  These can entertain, while at the same time providing useful and desired news and information.

In recent decades, “Reality T.V.” shows such as “Survivor” and “Big Brother” have entered the mainstream.  Focusing on a confrontational content that features supposed non-actors in contrived situations, it is generally a benign low-brow form of entertainment.   However, a new and disturbing form of reality television has sprung up.  Its’ popularity is a reflection on the dark nature that permeates today's society.  I call it “Humiliation Television.”

To illustrate, let me ask the following questions;

- When did subjecting oneself to insults and degradation publicly, and on camera, become a desired career path?

- Why is the need for some modicum of fame cause some people to lose any sense of self-esteem and dignity?

- Why would anyone take seriously a show that claims to be unrehearsed, spontaneous and true to life, when it is obviously staged? Dialogue and actions done on camera are pre-determined by the producers to create an illusion of authenticity.

In following articles I will examine different types of these shows that make-up Humiliation Television.

(See PT. 2 in a future post.)

Will you help these women too, David? U.S. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS.

DAVID,

"Kamala, it can't be done." "You won't win." "Wait your turn."

I can't tell you how many people have said those words to me.

Fortunately, I didn't listen. Thanks to a family led by powerful and fearless women, I believed in myself enough to run for office anyway.

In my first race for San Francisco district attorney, I challenged a two-term incumbent from a well-known political family. And when I ran for attorney general of California, my opponent was a popular Republican elected official.

Still — we won both campaigns. And thanks to the support of EMILY's List, I became the first woman and Indian American to be California attorney general; and in 2017 I became the first Indian American and second African American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Now, I'm excited to join this community in helping get even more women into elected office — including two running to join me in the Senate.

...help elect the next generation of pro-choice Democratic women lawmakers.

This year, we need to send my 10 sisters with seats up for re-election back to the Senate where their voices are desperately needed. And we need to add Jacky Rosen (NV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) to our ranks and turn the Senate blue.

We also need to help all the EMILY's List women running up and down the ballot for the House, governors' offices, and state and local seats.

As someone who began her political career at the local level, I know electing pro-choice Democratic women is not only how we fight back against the Trump administration; it's also how we can create lasting change.

They need us to show we believe in them — just like you did for me — by sending our strongest support and giving them the resources they need to win in November.

Thanks and let's keep fighting,

Kamala Harris
U.S. Senator, California

[D-58] UPDATE ON MY RACE. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE PAT RYAN.

Hi David, 

 

In the Army, before every operation we marked the time remaining by [D-58] with 58 being the number of days until the mission and then [H-XX] representing the hours left. We’re now just 58 days from our Primary Election Day, so we'll be reaching out with campaign updates more often since the election is close.

 

Thursday night, we headed to my alma mater, Kingston High School, for a debate hosted by Radio Kingston. (Go vote, Tigers!) The last time I was in that auditorium, I was taking my graduation photos. And then 18 years later I was back in the same auditorium running for Congress and debating the values that are important to our country and our community.

 

What I heard from voters last night and what I hear from voters throughout NY-19 is that they’re sick of self-serving politicians. I am too -- that's why I joined this race. The values I learned serving our country are the opposite of how too many politicians conduct themselves in Washington.

 

Just in the last week, we had two really exciting updates validating that voters want leaders who will put country first. With Honor released a poll showing two important things: (1) “Served honorably in the US military” is the strongest trait they tested for a candidate, and (2) nearly 1 in 3 voters said they are more likely to vote for a congressional candidate of a different party once they learn the candidate is a veteran. 

 

 

[Poll from With Honor ranking the Qualifications of a Congressional Candidate people are most likely to support. Served Honorably in US military 62, Has prior experience as an elected official 53, Runs a non-profit organization 38, Started a business 38, Is a successful lawyer 23.]

 

On Thursday General Wes Clark highlighted my campaign in his article: “Want a politician you can trust? Elect a veteran in November”. This is BIG news. 

 

Here’s what he said: 

“Veterans elected to Congress will also practice a lost art — leadership. Leadership can be taught in a boardroom, on a sports field or on a Peace Corps deployment. But when it comes to molding leaders, it’s hard to replicate leading teams in combat zones. That brand of leadership is being exemplified by veterans across the country. Women like Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Elissa Slotkin in Michigan. Men like Dan McCready in North Carolina and Pat Ryan in New York.”

 

As an Army officer, I always made sure my soldiers had what they needed - “officers eat last”. Those are the values I learned in the Army and those are the values I see resonating when I travel the district and talk to voters, regardless of their political party. That’s why I know we can win here, in a tough battleground district like NY-19.

 

I can’t thank you enough for supporting my campaign. I truly couldn’t do this without friends like you. Hope to catch up soon, and in the meantime, I’ll continue to keep you updated on our progress.

 

 

--Pat