Red Herring - Definition (WAS: Rights vs. Privileges and Immunities )

[Guest guest]

I only wish for you that you will come to separate your thinking.

which

> is gaining clarity, from your anger, which obscures what lies

before you..

 

 

Also Known as: Smoke Screen, Wild Goose Chase.

 

Description of Red Herring

A Red Herring is a fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented

in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea

is to " win " an argument by leading attention away from the argument

and to another topic. This sort of " reasoning " has the following

form:

 

 

Topic A is under discussion.

Topic B is introduced under the guise of being relevant to topic A

(when topic B is actually not relevant to topic A).

Topic A is abandoned.

This sort of " reasoning " is fallacious because merely changing the

topic of discussion hardly counts as an argument against a claim.

 

Examples of Red Herring

 

" We admit that this measure is popular. But we also urge you to note

that there are so many bond issues on this ballot that the whole

thing is getting ridiculous. "

 

" Argument " for a tax cut:

" You know, I've begun to think that there is some merit in the

Republican's tax cut plan. I suggest that you come up with something

like it, because If we Democrats are going to survive as a party, we

have got to show that we are as tough-minded as the Republicans,

since that is what the public wants. "

 

 

" Argument " for making grad school requirements stricter:

" I think there is great merit in making the requirements stricter for

the graduate students. I recommend that you support it, too. After

all, we are in a budget crisis and we do not want our salaries

affected. "

[Guest guest]

I'd personally like to stay on topic A's and cease these unwelcome &

unasked for rewritten posts (topic B's) that appear to be

arrogant, passive aggressive, controlling if not rude & disrespectful

of what other's (usually female) are attempting to thoughtfully &

logically convey

on a raw foods list, not an NVC list.

 

Enough diversion already. Let's talk about raw foods.

 

On Oct 23, 2007, at 12:02 PM, Erica wrote:

 

> I only wish for you that you will come to separate your thinking.

> which

> > is gaining clarity, from your anger, which obscures what lies

> before you..

>

> Also Known as: Smoke Screen, Wild Goose Chase.

 

Topic A is under discussion.

Topic B is introduced under the guise of being relevant to topic A

(when topic B is actually not relevant to topic A).

Topic A is abandoned.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

" Enough diversion already. Let's talk about raw foods. "

 

You are reading my mind...

Erica