Of Straw Men and Their Pyromaniac Attackers
The liberal talking points misconstrue the conservative philosophy of government as wishing to dismantle the federal government and let everybody fend for himself. They then proceed to attack this mischaracterization. Winning an argument against a chimera is as meaningful as stabbing a ghost.
And I quote:
"The Republican template has been in stark view at presidential debates lately. It is a program to wind down the government’s longstanding guarantee of health care to the elderly and the poor and incinerate the Democrats’ new promise to cover the uninsured; to abolish the Department of Education and its effort to raise national standards; to stop virtually all regulation of the environment and the financial industry; to reimpose military discrimination against gays and lesbians, deport immigrants, cut unemployment insurance and nutrition programs, raise taxes on the poor and lower them for the rich." (9-29-11 NY Times editorial).
And I quote:
"In fact, this larger notion that the only thing we can do to restore prosperity is just dismantle government, refund everybody’s money, and let everyone write their own rules, and tell everyone they’re on their own -- that’s not who we are. That’s not the story of America." (9-8-11 Obama's Speech to Congress on Jobs).
The themes are the same. In these statements, straw men attributed to those who disagree with Obama's policies are set up to demonstrate the unreasonableness of the opposition.
From Obama's speech:
1. Dismantle government
2. Refund everybody's money
3. ...everyone write their (sic) own rules
4. ...everyone...on their (sic) own
From the NY Times editorial:
1. Wind down the government...incinerate the Democrats’ new promise...abolish the Department of Education...stop virtually all regulation of the environment and the financial industry...
Same language, same falsehoods (straw men). If I declare (falsely) that my political adversary advocates the death penalty for traffic violations and then oppose that position, have I made an argument that mine is the better position?
This administration and its apologists seem unable to argue their case on the merits, largely because the country and its economy are staggering under the onslaught of the Obama policies. So on to the barricades and a big, hot, distracting bonfire it is.
And I quote:
"The Republican template has been in stark view at presidential debates lately. It is a program to wind down the government’s longstanding guarantee of health care to the elderly and the poor and incinerate the Democrats’ new promise to cover the uninsured; to abolish the Department of Education and its effort to raise national standards; to stop virtually all regulation of the environment and the financial industry; to reimpose military discrimination against gays and lesbians, deport immigrants, cut unemployment insurance and nutrition programs, raise taxes on the poor and lower them for the rich." (9-29-11 NY Times editorial).
And I quote:
"In fact, this larger notion that the only thing we can do to restore prosperity is just dismantle government, refund everybody’s money, and let everyone write their own rules, and tell everyone they’re on their own -- that’s not who we are. That’s not the story of America." (9-8-11 Obama's Speech to Congress on Jobs).
The themes are the same. In these statements, straw men attributed to those who disagree with Obama's policies are set up to demonstrate the unreasonableness of the opposition.
From Obama's speech:
1. Dismantle government
2. Refund everybody's money
3. ...everyone write their (sic) own rules
4. ...everyone...on their (sic) own
From the NY Times editorial:
1. Wind down the government...incinerate the Democrats’ new promise...abolish the Department of Education...stop virtually all regulation of the environment and the financial industry...
Same language, same falsehoods (straw men). If I declare (falsely) that my political adversary advocates the death penalty for traffic violations and then oppose that position, have I made an argument that mine is the better position?
This administration and its apologists seem unable to argue their case on the merits, largely because the country and its economy are staggering under the onslaught of the Obama policies. So on to the barricades and a big, hot, distracting bonfire it is.
posted by alison @ 2:40 PM
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