When someone has no logical, rational argument that they can make, they inevitably fall back on logical fallacies. Case in point are recent letters from the author of a Feb. 6 letter.

His first logical fallacy is called “appeal to authority” when he cites the pope to support his notion that we need more welfare in this country. The pope may be right, the pope may be wrong, but being the pope does not make him always right. It is not necessary to offer a rebuttal to this argument. All one needs to do is identify this logical fallacy, and a rebuttal is unnecessary.

Another fallacy is to assert that his argument is “common sense” and that that is all that is necessary to make his case. When he resorts to that, he is as good as admitting that he cannot define his terms and present his case with a cogent, logical, rational argument.

Finally, he continues to use a phrase that he refuses to define, but has trotted it out numerous times for the sole purpose of evoking emotions, instead of furthering a rational discussion; and that is the phrase “slave wages.” That is known as an appeal to emotion. Again, it is only necessary to point out this fallacy, and no rebuttal is necessary.

No matter how many letters he writes, he is not going to “educate” any far-right, Tea Party Republicans unless he can present his case with logic and rationality, and stop using logical fallacies. Until he can, I will continue to view his “common sense” as nonsense!

 

George Lundstrom

Albert Lea