Re: Ad Hominem fallacy again

From: gts (gts_2000@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Apr 02 2003 - 05:50:53 MST

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    --- John K Clark <jonkc@att.net> wrote:
    > "gts" <gts_2000@yahoo.com>
    >
    >> The KKK calls blacks and Jews scum, and they are
    >> no more correct than you are in calling the KKK
    >> scum.
    >
    > If I were to say "Hey gts, what do you think about
    > the KKK?" is it really
    > inconceivable that you would reply "They're scum";
    > and should I think less
    > of you if you did? Personally I feel it is perfectly
    > correct, they are scum.

    The key point is this, John:

    We can say without drawing much objection that a
    member of the KKK is "scum" for the reason that White
    Supremicism has been widely discredited by intelligent
    thoughtful people with *valid logical arguments*.

    However such statements are not themselves part of any
    valid logical argument. They do nothing to further
    discredit White Supremicism, and thus they add nothing
    of value to any debate about the subject of White
    Supremicism (especially in a debate with a White
    Supremicist, in which case it becomes serious ad
    hominem). Such statements are just a waste of time.
    They are sound and fury signifying nothing more than
    primitive emotion, emotion which may or may not have
    any rational basis.

    White Supremicism isn't bad because its proponents are
    scum. Rather, its proponents can be defined as scum
    without much objection because White Supremicism is
    bad and can be proven so with valid logical arguments
    (but needn't be explicity proven so in most debates
    with intelligent people, because that valid argument
    is already widely accepted and in the public domain.)

    If you don't follow my reasoning above then you might
    just as well argue that the earth is flat. After all,
    Hitler believed the earth is round and we all know
    that bastard was scum.

    -gts



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