Stupid fallacy #6,493,936: "If you support being in Afghanistan you should enlist, chicken-hawk!!!"

[Odin2005]

For the love of the FSM I am sick of this argument. For one thing my Asperger's puts me in no position to make it though basic training. And secondly voicing my OPINION about my support for being in Afghanistan has no logical connection with any duty to sign up to the military, people have different abilities and skills and if those skills are better used outside of the millitary that should not disqualify those people from having an OPINION on US foreign policy.

I am SOOOO sick of that stupid remark.

[Orrex]

1. It stems from legitimate condemnation of Repub chickenhawks, I think

You're correct when you say that arguing in support of a military doesn't in any way require you to enlist. Repubs chickenhawks, on the other hand, have taken it several steps further and branded as a coward anyone who doesn't support military escalation in Afghanistan and/or Iraq.

The difference is that you support the action without condemning those who disagree with you.

Republicans' eagerness to condemn dissenters ups the ante for them and makes them hypocrites if they themselves aren't willing to enlist (or to encourage their children to enlist, for example).

[Silent3]

3. Especially when you consider...

...the hawks that actively went out of there way to seek deferments for themselves when there was a draft.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. And they're voicing their OPINION that you're a chickenhawk.

Big deal.

[Silent3]

4. The big deal is...

...that it's not a very fair automatic assessment to throw in someone's face.

That calling someone a chickenhawk is an OPINION doesn't have a thing to do with whether the target of the opinion might want to protest that opinion and call it objectionable.

[realisticphish]

5. lots of people

voice the opinion that the Moon Landings were faked. That doesn't mean I can't call that opinion stupid, and fallacious

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. The moon landing isn't really a matter of opinion, now is it?

[realisticphish]

7. to some people, yes, it is

stupid, stupid people, but yes.

my point is that having an opinion doesn't automatically place you beyond criticism. If someone calls me a fascist, that's absolutely and completely false. Only I know that for sure, but I'm hardly required to say "Gosh, that's your opinion! Perhaps you are right!"

By saying "that's their opinion, so stop whining" what's really being said is "shut up, so we can say whatever we want about you"

[LeftishBrit]

8. Good points

I once knew someone IRL who used to try and get away with the most outrageous lies about other people, by beginning them with 'It is my perception that...'. Apparently, describing them as her 'perception' exempted her from staying anywhere near the facts!

[Orrex]

9. That's similar to conflating "truth" with "true opinion"

Bob: "Jane, your hair looks terrible."

Jane: "Bob, how can you be so cruel?"

Bob: "What? I'm just telling the truth."

Jane: "No, you're expressing an opinion."

Bob: "But it's truly my opinion, so I'm telling the truth."



etc.

[moggie]

10. But Bob's right!

In my experience, women called Jane do have bad hair. Please don't try to counter this with hard data, because my small-scale anecdotal evidence trumps that.

[Orrex]

11. Bob's a drunk.

True fact.

[onager]

12. And James Randi is a homo!

Wikipedia editorial notes on entry for "James Randi:"

This article needs to be expanded to include elements of Randi's personal life such as who his parents were, his heritage, etc. Do any of you know if Randi was ever married? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.79.39.127 (talk • contribs) 21:23, 5 June 2006

I don't know, but he seems like a homo to me.

Oh, grow up, you anonymous homophobe you. RobertAustin 10:49, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Agree with above. I have not heard anything to the effect of Mr. Randi being homosexual, or at least not seriously. It's possible, but I do not see how that changes anything or would reflect on his work. Mr. Randi is free to speak of his personal life, but I find it distasteful to speculate about anyone's private life, especially when it does not relate directly to his public or professional life. That having been said, adding the location where he was raised, names of parents and such may be worthwhile, if only for general biographical reference. DrBuzz0 02:56, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:James_Randi/Archive2

I knew I had seen sneaky allegations about Randi and "younger men" on some woo sites in the past. For the whole story, go down to the "Byrd vs. Randi" section of above link.

[Orrex]

13. He's a homo because we don't know who his parents were.

QED.

[realisticphish]

15. haha nt

[moggie]

14. Obviously this invalidates all his work

Now I can take up dowsing with a clear conscience.