At the risk of losing the argument before it begins, let me ask you two questions. Number One: What do Adolph Hitler, Mao Tse-tung, serial killer and eater Jeffrey Dahmer, and Barack Obama all have in common? No, really. Think about it.
Answer: they all believe in gravity. They all hold (or held) the view that what goes up must come down.
Number Two: Do you, in the company of these men, also believe in gravity? No, really.
The two fallacies are blatant. Just because a man unworthy of emulation holds a truth is no reason for you not to believe that truth. All truths should be believed regardless who believes or disbelieves them. And to put Mr Obama in list implies he is just like the other vile men—although, to be fair, Mr Obama’s views on state control are said to be “evolving.”
The two fallacies would still be present if “gravity” were swapped with “bigfoot” or “equality.” A bad person holding a falsity is not an additional reason to disbelieve the falsity, though it is a good argument to further dislike the bad person. All falsities should be disbelieved regardless who disbelieves or believes in them. Plus, in Mr Obama’s defense, many good people believe wrong things; cf. atheism or diversity.
Another point, which flows from these: it is rational for you to distrust anybody who advances fallacious arguments of this (or any) type.
These logical facts being obvious, it is a mystery why Heartland Institute would choose to run the billboard [that it did].
I’m not thrilled with the Heartland Foundation’s billboard campaign, but the GWPF criticism is a bit short of the mark. Another thing the members of HF’s ‘rogue’s gallery’ have in common is a hatred of modern civilization and a callous disregard (or worse) for human life. The choice of rogues is more relevant than GWPF realizes.
I agree with Briggs. As soon as HI ran the ad, they lost the high ground and almost all of the middle ground.
Getting “down in the mud” with Alarmists only results in getting yourself muddy – no good can come of it. The key to proper debate on Climate is not a fallacious appeal to emotion or guilt by association, but data. We must know the data, and be able to present it in an accessible way to those who are still open minded enough to be swayed.
I liked the ads…….a shocker but then the long slow destruction of America is a shocker too……
The one-day billboard in one city was a great way to point out what the alarmists do and not only get away with, but are lauded for every day, all day, everywhere.
I too liked the ads, Cat.
Confronting indeed, but, surely, that was the point.
Unfortunately, the warmists’ agenda does not permit free speech for all who disagree them. Therefore, the response to have the billboards removed was expected and typical.
How it diminishes the Heartland Institute’s reputation in people’s eyes baffles me.
After all, these people, as documented on the billboards, did agree with the premise as presented on these billboards.
Just because it embarrassed some people does not abrogate the aberration that is the AGW conclave.
Lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. A sad misstep.