Fallacies in Logic and Devices of Propaganda

Several times in junior high and high school I learned about propaganda. It was a hot topic because of the Cold War. Propaganda was something the Soviets did. The lessons did examine propaganda throughout history and even US propaganda; of course, we always used it for good. Advertisers were also marked as major propagandists.



Those lessons have stuck with me. It is practical information and I draw from it quite often. Much of my frustration with politics, sports, business, and the media today is because they all shamelessly produce propaganda. Truth is relative and depends on who is the best lawyer or fastest and most persuasive talker.



One man's propaganda is another man's truth in some instances, however, if one keeps in mind the elements of propaganda and fallacies in logic, he/she will come closer to objectivity than if they judge arguments with their emotions and feelings.



I will list the fallacies and elements below and provide the link to the source. It is a brief page or two and well worth your time. Propaganda exists in our government and society, because we allow it. Our defense and offense is to know the difference; call them on it; and demand better. There is great power in a knowlegable electorate.



Read more about Propaganda and Fallacies of Logic



Fallacies in Logic

• The Circular Argument Fallacy

• The Ad Hominem Fallacy

• The Bifurcation Fallacy

• The Argumentum Ad Populum Fallacy



Propaganda Devices

• The Name Calling Device

• The Glittering Generalities Device

• The Transfer Device

• The Testimonial Device

• The Plain Folks Device

• The Card Stacking Device

• The Band Wagon Device

• The Missing Information Device



Our head and our heart function best when used together.



Until the next time

John Strain

Technology or Magic?

According to the science fiction movies I saw growing up in the 60's, technology often had an influence on society to make it more impersonal. In my experience, however, technology has both opened up the world and brought me closer to my friends and family. So amazing the impact technology has had on me, I look at it more as magic than I do inventions of man. I am often mesmerized like the jungle natives seeing a Bic lighter for the first time.



As an example of the world being smaller and loved ones being closer, I will tell you about one moment in my evening. I was watching the World Series in Boston on my television, which gets its signal from a satellite. I had the sound down on the baseball game, because I was listening to the LSU football game over the Internet on my computer.



Somewhere in the first quarter of the football game, LSU fumbled and the opposing team eventually cashed the turnover in for a tying touchdown. Normally, I watch the games with my son, but now he is living in Baton Rouge and is an LSU student. No problem, I pushed a couple of buttons on my cell phone and John answered from his seat in Tiger Stadium, where he was watching the game in person. We had our conversation as if he were sitting next to me. After the comments were exchanged, I closed my phone and continued watching the game. It felt like we were together and in some ways we were.



Technology lets me see the action anywhere on earth and into space. Technology lets me talk to my son any time I want. If you think about it, it really is more magic than science.



Until the next time

John Strain

Saturday Devotion: IF by Rudyard Kipling

This poem speaks of values and virtue. I showed some poor examples of values in this weeks posts; Kipling says it positively.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:



If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:



If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"



If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!



Until the next time

John Strain

The Cat

This is a nice story for all of you cat lovers and cat haters out there. I found it at The WOW Zone. I hope you have a nice Friday and a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the story.

A pastor had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. 



The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.



He did all this, checking his progress in the car frequently, then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved a little further forward, the rope broke.



The tree went "boing!" and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight.



The pastor felt terrible.



He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business.



A few days later he was at the grocery store and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?"



She replied, "You won't believe this," and told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it!"



She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes.



A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her.



By Dwight Nelson (A true story about the pastor of his church)



November 2002

Until the next time

John Strain

Getting Away With It

Tuesday night I watched the baseball game between the Yankees and the Red Sox. At one point in the game a play at first base caused some controversy. Alex Rodriguez hit the ball to the Red Sox pitcher who ran toward A-Rod to tag him out. Clearly, Rodriguez deliberately knocked the ball out of the pitcher's glove and was initially called safe at first by the umpire. After a conclave of the six umpires, they rightly reversed the call because Alex Rodriguez interfered with the fielder. The umpires got it right.







After things died down, the announcers continued talking about the incident. One comment made went something like this:

It was clearly interference and the umpires made the correct call. A-Rod gave it a shot, if you can get away with it, then why not?

I can think of a few reasons why not:

(1) It is against the rules and it is cheating.

(2) It sets a bad example for others.

(3) It is disrespectful to the game of baseball.



I know some people believe it is OK to break rules and laws. Getting caught is more important to them than observing the principle of being a law-abiding citizen. The attitude is, "Laws and rules are for other people - I'm special." Speed limits are a law, yet an industry exists to help people avoid consequences of breaking that law. Radar detectors announce their owners are law breakers.



I do not know Alex Rodriguez and I am not judging him here, however, he serves as a symbol for my topic. To him, winning was more important than playing fair. No amount of money or championship justifies cheating. Our athletes should demonstrate fairness and sportsmanship. To win by cheating is to gain a hollow victory.



Sports figures are often referred to as heroes. Alex Rodriguez would not fit my definition just for the little stunt he pulled in that game. To top it off, when the umpire correctly reversed the call, A-Rod acted indignant and held his arms out as if he were the victim of unfair circumstances.



Baseball fans understand that "Baseball" is a sacred institution. No individual is more important than the game. Everyone involved with baseball should feel that responsibility as stewards of the game. Pete Rose is banned because he broke this trust. If players cheat because they can, they disrespect the game.



Cheating in a baseball game may seem like a little thing, but so is a kidney stone. Little things cause big problems. Obeying laws and rules is something only possible through cooperation. Our society and freedom is enhanced when more people embrace these principles.



Until the next time

John Strain