Claims And Fallacies

1. Classify the following quotes from Bush’s speeches according to types of claim: fact, cause, value, policy, and definition.

a. The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. FACT

b. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place until there is no refuge or no rest. POLICY

c. Tonight, we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done. VALUE

d. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them. DEFINITION

e. It is no accident that the rise of so many democracies took place in a time when the world’s most influential nation was itself a democracy. CAUSE

2. Classify the following quotes according to types of proof (page 8, be as specific as possible):

a. They (terrorists) are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan where they are trained in the tactics of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot evil and destruction. The leadership of al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan and supports the Taliban regime in controlling most of that country. LOGOS

b. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history’s unmarked grave of discarded lies. PATHOS

c. The United States respects the people of Afghanistan—after all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid. LOGOS

d. This war on terror is the calling of a new generation; it is the calling of our generation. Success is essential to securing a future of peace for our children and grandchildren. PATHOS

3. Why are the following quotes examples of fallacies? Explain each quote and link it to a type of fallacy we saw in this unit:

a- And we can be confident in winning because we’ve got incredible men and women who wear our nation’s uniform.

I think that this is a “POST HOC OR FAULTY CAUSE” fallacy, since there is a wrong reasoning as having an excellent group of people does not necessarily means that they will be better at war.

b- If we know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons today—and we do— does it

make any sense for the world to wait to confront him as he grows even stronger and develops even more dangerous weapons?

In this case I think it is a “BEGGING THE QUESTION” fallacy, as Bush tries to place the burden of proof on the listener and asks a tough question as if the audience could be responsible for his decisions.

c- As you know, the Iranians, for example, think they want to have a nuclear weapon. And we’ve convinced other nations to join us to send a clear message, through the United Nations, that that’s unacceptable behavior.

I think the fallacy here is that Bush is “USING AUTHORITY INSTEAD OF EVIDENCE” since he wants something done the way he wants to because he says so.

d- Al Qaeda is to terror what the Mafia is to crime.

Here, there’s a “FAULTY ANALOGY”, as I don’t think that these two organizations can be so carelessly compared.

e- Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.

I think this is a “FALSE DILEMMA” because it only presents two extreme alternatives, what about those

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