CONTENTS

Introduction
Sellers' Market
Will to Believe
Rules of Thumb

"The truth is out there "
Use & misuse of words
False information signals more false information
Technical whiz-bang
Understand the Context
Lies, More Lies, Damn Lies and Newspapers
Beware of Generalizations
Theology and scripture
Misleading Statistics
Smoke in your eyes
What is Missing?
Myth versus fact versus narrative
The past was not like the present; the future will be different

Fallacy Recognition in the Middle East

Fallacies and Arguments
Cause and Effect
Slippery Slope
Gambler's Fallacy
Ad Hominem
Authority
Beliefs
Appeal to Novelty
Appeal to Emotion
Appeal to Tradition
False Dilemma or Black and White Thinking
Special Pleading
The Spotlight Fallacy
Who is to Say?

Fallacy Handbook

This is a favorite appeal of political partisans and it is best done with pictures, and misplaced appeals to compassion. Of course, emotion can include fear, spite, pity, satisfaction by flattery etc, all of which are listed separately by LaBossiere. Pictures of starving children, homeless people and war victims. The worst SS war criminal in Germany could look appealing and worthy of pity when he was dirty, hungry and in tatters. Saddam Hussein, the tyrant of Iraq, was pitiful when he was discovered in his hiding spot.

While emotional appeals to pity are sometimes based on legitimate grievances, we always have to ask if the proposed solution will ameliorate the problem or make it worse. The victims of Czarism were pitiful; the victims of Stalinism were beyond pity.

In the Middle East, revenge and spite have often been considered reasonable motives, and in fact they may be the "locomotive" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These emotions are for "internal use." Flattery usually is applied to outsider third parties, "a liberal person like you should be appalled that..." Fear is featured prominently as well: "They'll get you next."