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Political Discourse, the Argumentum ad Misericordiam, and the Tu Quoque Fallacy

It is not a novel insight that the most recent inauguration has been contentious, nor is it a novel insight that political discourse has been so acrimonious that it is less a true discourse and more ... read more

A Conservative Guide to Rhetoric

AD HOMINEM. Attacking a person instead of making an argument. Barack Obama is an “Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug.” —Tea Party spokesman Mark Williams, discussing the President. AD MISERICORDIAM ... read more

David Suzuki column: Cutting through polluted public discourse

The debasement of public discourse through poorly ... by everyone from climate science deniers to political trolls: changing the topic. Known as a red herring or sometimes a tu quoque (“you too”) ... read more

The most dangerous result of the CIA torture scandal

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? Not any different than America's subjugation of Vietnam. Political prisoners? America's prison system is no model for the world. Civil rights? What about the horror ... read more

Trump's Dangerous Anti-Libertarian Nationalism

This is a time of high rhetorical tension in American political discourse. One with a contrarian streak (and libertarians of necessity have contrarian streaks) might be inclined to discount the ... read more

Some Thoughts on the Appeal to Hypocrisy in Political Discourse

Tu quoque (“you also”) is an informal logical fallacy that seeks ... internal logic of the opponent’s argument or the “rightness” of the opponent’s conclusion. It’s a species of ad hominem. In ... read more

Republic Of Lies

This renunciation of reality can feel natural and pleasant, but the result is your demise as an individual — and thus the collapse of any political system that depends ... Of course many of them do. ... read more

Terrible, yes, but was it terrorism?

To wit: A discussion about whether the Boston Marathon bombing was “terrorism ... or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” Both definitions of terrorism share a ... read more

Braving risky politics for a lasting legacy

The mining boom? Its best days are over, its proceeds frittered on the sugar hits of political short-termism. Certainly the investment of social and physical infrastructure it might have facilitated ... read more

Are Free Minds and Free Markets Compatible With Christianity?

Is libertarian political philosophy intractably at odds with the Christian faith, as some folks seem to think? Over the last year, I've spoken with countless practicing Christians who also fall into ... read more