ARGUMENT OR DISCUSSION?; BLOG # 2216; NOV 29,2019

THE COMEBACK:

YOU ARE SUCH A LOSER

WHAT GAME ARE YOU WATCHING?






THE MESSAGE:

Over the years we have been presented with media coverage that presents one sided opinions, hyped up enticements or incomplete analysis. We are inundated with marches, protests and/or sit ins that claim to have all the answers to their particular issues. Considering the situation in Hong Kong, I say God bless Canada and the other societies that believe in freedom of expression. 

A huge problem arises when individuals view a topic as dogma. That is they don’t fully understand the topic but accept it faithfully anyway. Another issue is making use of a psychological belief in order to enhance an objective.

THE MUSIC:

THE BLURB:

EXAMPLE #1

There is a general consensus that scientists and learned societies have an unimpeachable reputation. These entities are seldom challenged by their believers even if it they may be off the mark. At times they make wild assumptions and illogical conclusions. For example the IPCC of the United Nations produced fudged statistical data that blames mankind for the unproven acceleration of the earth’s temperatures.

The IPCC states that it’s only when we include a strong warming effect from man’s CO2 emissions that we can reproduce the observed warming of the past 60 years. They cannot think of any other reason for the warming. so it must be man’s fault. the fact remains that the warming rate is not increasing. The notion that it is accelerating was based on the statistical abuse that the IPCC has refused to correct.

According to an analysis by Australian researcher John McLean the report is far too sloppy to be taken seriously even by climate scientists, let alone a body as influential as the IPCC or by the governments of the world. McLean found freakishly improbable data, and systematic adjustment errors, large gaps where there is no data, location errors, Fahrenheit temperatures reported as Celsius, and spelling errors.

EXAMPLE #2

Producers have been duped by advertising firms that preach that it does not matter that their product ads are annoying to some. Most TV ads are accompanied by an excitedly loud voice that forces me to hit the ‘mute’ button. When people go to the market or store they will always chose  their brand because the name is stuck in their head due to the bombardment of advertising presentations.

EXAMPLE #3

Many accept the fact that cars are a nuisance that interfere with pedestrians, public transit, and bicyclers. They clog up the urban area and produce pollution. Meanwhile pedestrians continue to ignore traffic signals at busy intersections, and cross the street while texting.  Cyclists wander in and out of lanes and some use their own rules to make progress in order to achieve their goal of saving time.

In Toronto, the mayor and his team are giving in to some unrealistic but popular ways of solving gridlock. Surely more work needs to be done to improve the interaction of the various ways of getting to a destination within a large city.

EXAMPLE #4

In a group discussion, many people do not listen to what others are saying. They make incorrect assumptions about what they hear or simply refuse to listen. 

Political debates are replete with such concepts. Learning in college depends on academic discourse, which requires argumentation and debate. Argumentation and debate inevitably lend themselves to flawed reasoning and rhetorical errors.

EXAMPLE #5

Fallacies.

A Formal Fallacy is a breakdown in how you say something. Your ideas are somehow sequenced incorrectly. Their form is wrong, which causes your argument to be seen as noise and nonsense.

An Informal Fallacy denotes an error in what you are saying, that is, the content of your argument. The ideas might be arranged correctly, but something you said isn’t quite right. The content is wrong or off-kilter. A red herring fallacy is a distraction from a discussion that is attempting to seem relevant but isn’t really on-topic. These tactics are common at negotiations between labour unions and the employers involved. When someone doesn’t like the current topic and wants to detour into something else that is easier or safer to address.

THE QUESTION:

In any discussion or argument, why is listening the most important skill?







THE LEMON:
Awarded to Gerald Butts  for leading Justin astray.

THE QUOTE:

"Weakness on both sides is, as we know, the motto of all quarrels.” Voltaire





THE CLIP: