Tag: debates
Logical fallacies
These are just three logical fallacies that irritate me:

Ad hominem attacks can take the form of overtly attacking somebody, or more subtly casting doubt on their character or personal attributes as a way to discredit their argument. The result of an ad hom attack can be to undermine someone’s case without actually having to engage with it.
Ad hominem

This fallacy avoids the argument by shifting focus onto something’s or someone’s origins. It’s similar to an ad hominem fallacy in that it leverages existing negative perceptions to make someone’s argument look bad, without actually presenting a case for why the argument itself lacks merit.
Genetic fallacy

Appeals to emotion include appeals to fear, envy, hatred, pity, pride, and more. It’s important to note that sometimes a logically coherent argument may inspire emotion or have an emotional aspect, but the problem and fallacy occurs when emotion is used instead of a logical argument, or to obscure the fact that no compelling rational reason exists for one’s position. Everyone, bar sociopaths, is affected by emotion, and so appeals to emotion are a very common and effective argument tactic, but they’re ultimately flawed, dishonest, and tend to make one’s opponents justifiably emotional.
Appeal to emotion

Graphics via The School of Thought
Presidential centers issue rare call to maintain civil discourse, protect democracy

Foundations representing nearly every former president from Herbert Hoover to Barack Obama released a joint letter on Thursday calling on Americans to engage in civil political discourse, and to remember that tolerance and respect are key to peaceful coexistence.
Presidential centers issue rare call to maintain civil discourse, protect democracy
Developing: A bad month for Resistance media just got much worse

Mint Press News suspended on TikTok, The Grayzone’s fundraising campaign frozen by GoFundme, and now The Cradle’s Facebook page is unpublished. Independent journalism is losing a war and few people seem to notice.
Developing: A bad month for Resistance media just got much worse
SMART ePANTS: Is the CIA in Your Underwear?
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is throwing $22 million in taxpayer money at developing clothing that records audio, video, and location data.
U.S. Spy Agency Dreams of All-Seeing “SMART ePANTS”
Related:
RFK Jr. Agrees (Again)To Interview w/ Max Blumenthal About Israel!
RFK Jr staff block Israel-Palestine dialogue after the candidate agreed

A day after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. agreed to a public discussion with Max Blumenthal on Israel-Palestine, his campaign walked back his words. RFK Jr. has pledged “unconditional support” to Israel while spouting vitriolic anti-Palestinian rhetoric.
RFK Jr staff block Israel-Palestine dialogue after the candidate agreed
The Perpetually Irrational Ukraine Debate
Because war is uncertain and reliable information is sparse, no one knows how the war in Ukraine will play out. Nor can any of us be completely certain what the optimal course of action is. We all have our own theories, hunches, beliefs, and hopes, but nobody’s crystal ball is 100 percent reliable in the middle of a war.
The Perpetually Irrational Ukraine Debate
How to End the War in Ukraine: Matt Duss and Ray McGovern Debate U.S. Policy on Russia, NATO & More
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, Democracynow.org, the War and Peace Report. When we come back, as the Biden administration vows more military aid for Ukraine we host a debate on the U.S. response to the war and U.S. policy toward Russia. We will speak with Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst who specialized in the Soviet Union, as well as former Bernie Sanders advisor Matt Duss, a Ukrainian-American who is now a Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International peace. Stay with us.
How to End the War in Ukraine: Matt Duss and Ray McGovern Debate U.S. Policy on Russia, NATO & More
Related:
Online Debate: Can War Ever Be Justified? Mark Welton vs. David Swanson

This free, public webinar will feature a live debate between Mark Welton and David Swanson on the question “Can War Ever Be Justified?”
Please share it with people who think the answer is yes, people who think the answer is no, and people who are unsure!
Online Debate: Can War Ever Be Justified? Mark Welton vs. David Swanson
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