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Apr. 7th, 2008 09:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unusualmusic_lj_archiveA. The Doggerel Index Nowadays debate on many matters in or out of the public sphere is characterized, not sensible points supported by good arguments, but by soundbites, shouting over each other, gotcha questions, mischaracterizations and words and phrases that are meaningless and overused, but sound good superficially. Here's a list of some of the most egregious examplesand an example of just why they are so dumb.
B. 5 general tactics are used by denialists to sow confusion. They are conspiracy, selectivity (cherry-picking), fake experts, impossible expectations (also known as moving goalposts), and general fallacies of logic. (all of which are explicitly explained in this article)
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Second, denialism isn't about name-calling or the psychological coping mechanism of denial. The first reaction of any denialist to being labeled such is to merely reply, "you're the denialist" or to redefine the terms so that it excludes them (usually comparing themselves to Galileo in the process). However, denialism is about tactics that are used to frustrate legitimate discussion, it is not about simply name-calling. It's about how you engage in a debate when you have no data (the key difference between denialists and the paradigm-shifters of yesteryear). There are a few more common defenses that we'll discuss in time.
C. Common defenses used by denialists:Denialism (n): the practice of creating the illusion of debate when there is none...
1. Simplest of all, just deny that they're a denialist. This is the plugging your ears defense.
2. Make out that they are part of a long line of "hero" denialists that changed the scientific consensus, like Pasteur or Einstein (Orac calls this the Galileo Gambit). This is the changing the definition defense or ego defense.
3. Accuse the accuser of being a denialist. This is the projection defense.
4. Accuse the accuser of making a black-list. This is the McCarthy defense.
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more
D. Debating those who won't debate
B. 5 general tactics are used by denialists to sow confusion. They are conspiracy, selectivity (cherry-picking), fake experts, impossible expectations (also known as moving goalposts), and general fallacies of logic. (all of which are explicitly explained in this article)
...
Second, denialism isn't about name-calling or the psychological coping mechanism of denial. The first reaction of any denialist to being labeled such is to merely reply, "you're the denialist" or to redefine the terms so that it excludes them (usually comparing themselves to Galileo in the process). However, denialism is about tactics that are used to frustrate legitimate discussion, it is not about simply name-calling. It's about how you engage in a debate when you have no data (the key difference between denialists and the paradigm-shifters of yesteryear). There are a few more common defenses that we'll discuss in time.
C. Common defenses used by denialists:Denialism (n): the practice of creating the illusion of debate when there is none...
1. Simplest of all, just deny that they're a denialist. This is the plugging your ears defense.
2. Make out that they are part of a long line of "hero" denialists that changed the scientific consensus, like Pasteur or Einstein (Orac calls this the Galileo Gambit). This is the changing the definition defense or ego defense.
3. Accuse the accuser of being a denialist. This is the projection defense.
4. Accuse the accuser of making a black-list. This is the McCarthy defense.
...
more
D. Debating those who won't debate
