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Subject: If he can do this, why can't I??
TriggaFingaz    9/11/2004 5:28:16 PM
Do you ever notice that when we and other debaters of all political persuasions and national preferences have an argument, we often resort to the 'if one faction can do this, why can't our preferred side do the same'? Or we and our debating opponents will say 'If there are others doing the same, why is our preferred side being picked on?' Even diplomats and rulers use the same tactic to win their argument. For example, when Israel backers (of which I am a quiet participant) argue against the 'Right to Return' because they know it will obliterate the Jewish State with several million 'refugees' and their descendents, they say "When all the Arab nations were formed, they kicked out thousands of Jews and they don't ask for a Right for Return. Why is Israel the only one being targetted?" And when Arab League rulers were trying to divert attention away from Iraq's WMD program and its failure to comply with successive UN resolutions, they try to say 'Why isn't Israel being made to comply with resolutions made declared before Iraq was singled out?" Now the Iranians are also crying the same demand when scrutinised over their dubious nuclear ambitions. When Leftists want to denounce the US for striking back at AQ in Afghanistan, some called the war there 'racist'. I faced this accusation and questioned it. The guy who made this remark declared, "Why didn't America bomb Northern Ireland? Is it becoz they are white?" Other leftist twits have asked why the US didn't destroy Tim McVeigh's home state- as if ALL enemies have to be treated 'equally' to prove some kind of non discrmination!!!!! Finally, when defending the majority US armed forces who have been stained by the Abu Ghraib abuses, we pro military folks tell the accusers, "For god's sake, other countries do worse as a matter of policy and you want to call the US Army barbaric for what a renegade minority did?" Surely there are other ways to win a debate without resorting to this tactic? However I don't believe that's entirely possible becoz comparing and contrasting is often integral to debate and judgement.
 
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displacedjim    RE:If he can do this, why can't I??   9/11/2004 7:05:17 PM
I agree with you, the "but we didn't bomb ____, so why are we bombing Iraq" type of argument is completely lame. It seems to me "they did it to us, so it's okay for us to do it to them" could be a valid argument, although I'd hope that wasn't the best or only argument we could make, and it might not be sufficient to justify some actions that will violate some basic principle like not intentionally targetting civilians. However, I can't see how the "why are you doing it to A, you didn't do it to B" argument can ever be valid. First off, it's doubtful the two could truly have the same fact pattern (and thus there could be a unique reason to do it only to A), and secondly who says we aren't going to do it to B tomorrow, too? Somebody's got to be first; so little time, so many terrs to kill. On top of that, it's never wrong or too late to do the right thing, regardless of how many other times you could have but did not. Also, why use such a silly argument when all the other guy has to do is do the same thing to B, and then your position is moot. Displacedjim
 
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FJV    RE:If he can do this, why can't I??   9/12/2004 5:46:28 AM
They leave out factors to make the examples look similar. Once you consider extra factors the similarity ends and so does the rationality of their argumentation.
 
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TriggaFingaz    New mad example   9/14/2004 4:16:28 PM
Here's another prime example I'd like to cite: when Operation Enduring Freedom commenced, some pro-jihadi cretin called the campaign it 'racist' (how can Islam be a race, but I did say cretin) or anti-Islamic etc becoz 'Gerry Adams (of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing) got invited to the White House' after nearly 30 years of the Troubles. Don't know if the ignorant jihadi piss-ant was an AQ leader ranting on Al Jazeera or a UK based Sharia lover. Here's a thought- AQ leaders are welcome.... just tell us in advance, so that the Barrett M82A-1s with Leupold scopes can be prepared for the welcome.....
 
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