Today we wish to examine a fallacy, or error in reasoning, which we have found springing up now and again in today's popular discourse about the so-called War On Terror. This one comes straight from the top -- well, not the VERY top -- but from Washington D.C. You have heard the President say it on national teevee, and so have we: "We either have to fight them [the terrorists] over there [i.e. Iraq], or we have to fight them over here [i.e. inside the U.S. border]."
Now we have chosen to examine this particular Bushism because, here, Mr. Bush has offered quite the textbook example of what informal logic-addicts call, a "false disjunction," or simply the "either-or" fallacy. To commit this error in reasoning, you only need to oversimplify a range of many options, reducing it to a pretended range that limits them to two logically-possible options only.
For instance, isn't possible that, if the U.S. pulled its troops from Iraq, using many of them to assist with border patrol duties, that we could avoid fighting "them" here by not letting them in, and yet not fight them "there" either? Now, to be sure, many will hasten to point out that they see this as impractical, ill-advised (for whatever reason), etc. My only point remains this: the option I have mentioned is logically possible. And I could imagine quite a few others.
For instance, the U.S. could spend a handsome little sum on policing our domestic internal affairs, and arrest all terrorists before they can do any harm. We have already arrested quite a few of them here without any fight whatever. One might argue that bloodless arrests seem much better, not to mention a good deal cheaper, than national invasions where the whole countryside gets shot up.
Now, if the U.S. can act with pre-emptive success in Iraq (for the president has suggested many times that it can), why can it not do so also much closer to home? But if the U.S. cannot do so on its home turf, why should anyone think they can do it in Iraq?
Remember, I do not mean to argue here against the U.S. presence in Iraq, but only to critique one particular reason offered for it by the president. He has, after all, listed quite a few different reasons for the invasion, at different times -- which may or may not be a good thing.
For today, then, let the reader take away this lesson in the logic of popular discourse -- never reduce a range of many possible options to two only, unless you prepare well enough to show that the others do not represent truly logical options. Otherwise, you will have committed the either-or fallacy.
Carson Day has written approximately 1.3 gazillion articles and essays, many with very insightful, if alternative, viewpoints. He presently writes for Ophir Gold Corporation, and specialized in the history of ideas in college. He has been quoted in the past as saying "What box?" and remains at large despite the best efforts of the civil authorities.
You can visit the Ophir Gold Corporation blogsites at http://scriberight.blogspot.com (Writing With Power), http://ophirgoldcorp.blogspot.com (OGC's Free Web Traffic), or http://ophirgold.blogspot.com (Church and State 101)
Many MLM sales people mean well but they inadvertently commit... Read More
In Police Magazine I read a great article about transient... Read More
The price at the gas pump is certainly on everyone's... Read More
It is widely known in the Homosexual Male Populations that... Read More
Quit paying the DEA to chase marijuana. We could save... Read More
I propose a special Projection Device code-named: "TIPED". This system... Read More
For a short time I worked as a union officer... Read More
After 9-11 insurance rates on Independent Truck Drivers and smaller... Read More
Recently in Maine, I talked with a gentleman and we... Read More
A quick look back at NAFTA; how did we do?Stabilizing... Read More
Non-lethal Goo Concepts have been tossed around by many war... Read More
Environmentalists say GM Seeds are bad for the environment, dangerous... Read More
We have all heard of the huge debates surrounding genetically... Read More
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development issued a report... Read More
As global warming continues to escalate the concerns of today's... Read More
One question not addressed in GM Crops and Monsanto Terminator... Read More
We can all see the issues involved in the cloning... Read More
Recently the CIA staged a practice simulation of a cyber... Read More
How many legs does a dog have if you call... Read More
Most citizens agree that we need the Federal Trade Commission... Read More
Visible remnants of the world's eldest democracy can be seen... Read More
Blessed with Chinese GDP growth rates (7-8% annually in each... Read More
In what the Americans love to describe as the war... Read More
In an effort to assist our political leadership it would... Read More
An article in Information Week in January 14, 2002 discussed... Read More
As I read the papers and watch the news day... Read More
Expected new applications for Mexican trucks to enter the US... Read More
The RSS is getting feedback from its 140 pracharaks or... Read More
The City of Portland is going after any small business,... Read More
Even the most devout proponents of free marketry and hidden... Read More
A governing.com report blast one of the major grassroots initiatives... Read More
The blogosphere has been jumping around the story like crazy... Read More
An interesting conversation that I thought I must share with... Read More
In the previous article, we described the various methods developed... Read More
Everyone knows the United States Government often falls down in... Read More
It appears we are getting a little bit of Sun... Read More
Many had made mention of the problems of business opportunities... Read More
Maybe some of the people complaining ought to go to... Read More
Many of the problems that the members of the European... Read More
Submiting the Criminals to The ICC!Everybody concerns about justice in... Read More
Commission for Africa (CFA), one is made to understand is... Read More
This is no time for the Black community to sue... Read More
Many are quick to point out the benefits of religion... Read More
I propose a special Projection Device code-named: "TIPED". This system... Read More
Up until the final debate at Arizona State University, the... Read More
Well the title is absolute Bull Crap, but this article... Read More
"Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporary safety are not... Read More
Non-lethal Goo Concepts have been tossed around by many war... Read More
(1) Each person is to have an equal right to... Read More
As we increase our populations every new soul will require... Read More
Ever wonder why labor unions consistently endorse democrats over republicans... Read More
We know that the International Terrorists like the idea of... Read More
As we watch fewer Americans voting it is no wonder... Read More
Ethanol is a great way to produce fuel, great fuel... Read More
..."history may judge us to be the real bully if,... Read More
Heaven, Hell, or some sort of Purgatory.I cannot seem to... Read More
Utah introduced a bill designed to limit the use of... Read More
If a farmer plants the same crop three seasons in... Read More
It never fails to amaze me. HM Customs and Excise... Read More
Rule of Thumb for exporting technology. The American People need... Read More
Earlier this month, I heard President George W. Bush and... Read More
In the event of that a threatening nation to the... Read More
The cause of America is in a great measure the... Read More
Visible remnants of the world's eldest democracy can be seen... Read More
The Flow of Trade is a major consideration of civilizations... Read More
The Republican Party became popular due to its view on... Read More
Political |