August 28, 2015
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(4) STRAW MAN
We”re told Roosh V is a pro-rape activist who lobbies the government to make rape legal. He’s on tour right now promoting his cause. Instead of questioning this cartoon villain, politicians and pundits alike grab the baton and run with it. Actually, cartoon villain is an understatement. I can”t imagine Lex Luthor or the Joker going on a “Legalize Rape” tour. Today’s straw men go way past comic-book and into unfathomable. Roosh mentioned legalized rape in a satirical article that showcased how reckless women have become, and he explained exactly that on my show. Nobody else asked him because they preferred the straw man to reality. Engaging in a debate is hard. Confrontation can be uncomfortable. It’s easier to see the world through Batman glasses.
On Hannity I said women would be much happier at home. My colleague insisted women should be able to choose between staying at home and entering the workforce. They do have this choice, and few outside of ISIS question it. This also happened on HuffPo when I suggested women aren”t enjoying their liberation from the kitchen. A professor told me I refuse to let women have a choice so I called her a “fucking idiot“ because I never said that.
(5) AD HOMINEM
I called her a fucking idiot because the argument was over. There had been so many logical fallacies at that point, I was throwing in the towel and acknowledging that we were both wasting our time. That’s what insulting your opponent is. It’s a tap-out.
However, in today’s arguments, we often start out insulting our opponent. Men are told they”re too ugly to get chicks and that’s why they”re making these controversial statements. We”re overcompensating for a small penis. Donald Trump is wrong because of his hair. This often escalates to the point where the person would rather fight you than argue. One guy suggested we charge tickets and give the money to charity. I don”t understand this. You can shoot the person you”re arguing with in the head, but the “collective series of statements” remains. The facts don”t care if you live or die.
Within “Ad Hominem,” I”d like to include an attack that comes up a lot, which is the accusation that you”re simply inventing statistics. It came up in that HuffPo fight when I referenced a study claiming women are less happy since feminism. My opponents called it a “fantasy study.” This also happened when RA the Rugged Man debated Jared Taylor on my show. If the person you”re arguing with says, “Where”d you get that?” to every study or stat you pull up, you”re arguing with the wrong person. I used to email the guy I was arguing with all the pertinent links from our previous discussion, but he”d never bother to read them. For a while I”d just say, “Wanna bet?” and put $100 on my hate fact. Now I just leave. I feel the same way about playing pool. I don”t like playing with someone I distrust to the point where we both have to call our shots. If the ball went in by accident, you admit it and pass the turn. If you”re going to pretend you did it on purpose, you”re not the kind of person I want to play pool with.
That’s what a good argument is. It’s a recreational activity that exercises your mind.
You”re not there to win. In fact, losing makes you smarter. College graduates have been trained to avoid confrontation so much, they”re actually coming out dumber than when they went in. We face the same fate as a nation if we don”t start moving past “No, it isn”t.” Let’s collect some statements together and begin defining propositions. It’s fun.
