From: Blunderov (squooker@mweb.co.za)
Date: Fri Oct 03 2003 - 13:08:10 MDT
[Blunderov]
I wonder if fallacies are an example of a very hardy type of meme
similar to the alleged anthrax (?) in the pharaohs' tombs that were
still viable after thousands of years. Innoculation is the only
remedy...
http://www.msnbc.com/news/967844.asp?vts=100320031152
<q>
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted that Saddam's regime "did
indeed pose a current and serious threat" and showed that Iraqi
authorities had defied U.N. weapons inspectors.
"If we had not taken military action at the time we did in the
face of that defiance ... the resolve of the international community
would have died down," he said. "And then the inspectors would have
found it more and more difficult to do their work, as they had done
before. Then they would have been kicked out, then we would have had a
Saddam Hussein still there, re-empowered and re-emboldened."
</q>
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/slippery-slope.html
<q>
Fallacy: Slippery Slope
Also Known as: The Camel's Nose.
Description of Slippery Slope
The Slippery Slope is a fallacy in which a person asserts that some
event must inevitably follow from another without any argument for the
inevitability of the event in question. In most cases, there are a
series of steps or gradations between one event and the one in question
and no reason is given as to why the intervening steps or gradations
will simply be bypassed. This "argument" has the following form:
Event X has occurred (or will or might occur).
Therefore event Y will inevitably happen.
This sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because there is no reason to
believe that one event must inevitably follow from another without an
argument for such a claim. This is especially clear in cases in which
there is a significant number of steps or gradations between one event
and another.
Examples of Slippery Slope
"We have to stop the tuition increase! The next thing you know, they'll
be charging $40,000 a semester!"
"The US shouldn't get involved militarily in other countries. Once the
government sends in a few troops, it will then send in thousands to
die."
"You can never give anyone a break. If you do, they'll walk all over
you."
"We've got to stop them from banning pornography. Once they start
banning one form of literature, they will never stop. Next thing you
know, they will be burning all the books!"
</q>
Best Regards
Blunderov
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