Circlular Logic
By David Fritsche
Although trained in the science of logic, I do not pretend that I always think or argue in a straight line. Like most people, there are times that I catch myself slightly off course, or, well, possible more than slightly. But, we are in the season of political campaigns, arguments and the taking of positions (not really – more like avoiding positions!), and it is easy to listen and then hit the off switch to avoid exasperation with the lies, innuendos, insinuations and inaccuracies. Come on you guys, give me a break.
Let’s see:
1. Obama is not an American and was born in Kenya!
OK, I get it, but although Obama was there at his birth, he doubtless has no memory of the event and probably has no clue, where he was born, given the various travels and less than stationary life style of his parents. So, I have refocused my attention, away from where he was born to where he is living now. That is the issue.
2. Romney killed a woman who had no health insurance after her husband was laid off by a Bain Capital raid.
OK, I hear it but the connecting logic seems missing or at least extremely weak. I mean it is statistically proven that the majority of people who die, have eaten carrots within two years of their passing. Therefore, carrots are fatal. People do get laid off of their jobs – a lot more these days than in years gone by. And people die of cancer – far more than I would like. Zero would be a good number, but research has not yet found the cure, so should we blame cancer researchers, doctors, employers, insurance companies, or Romney? I suppose blaming cancer would be out of the question, so let’s just throw darts at the rest of the list.
3. George Bush so messed things up that he will be responsible for the next 50 years for what happens in our economy.
Uh, OK, this one I do not get at all. I do understand that he signed several pieces of legislation into law that the Democratic Congress passed, without a veto, even though he was against them. I also know that he raised the national debt to finance the War on Terrorism, but responsibility for much of that has to be shared with the Congress who passed the laws and, I might suggest, the effects of executive policy should terminate at some point, unless the new executive allows those policies to be carried forward indefinitely. In which case, the new executive must take a share of the blame for allowing it to continue. That is to say, you either have to act to stop the problem, or it is your problem! But then I could be wrong! <grin>
4. Executive actions do not have an immediate effect, so for them to work, there needs to be four more years to see the end result.
Huh? If a downward drift in our economy and an upward spiral in our national debt is the result of Bush policies, and if that trajectory is downward over all, with increased unemployment, the downward value of houses and personal property, the loss of value for the dollar, the loss of investment value for private investors and the inflation of metal, oil and other resources, then responsibility has to go to some point of leadership. To say that all we need is four more years to see the result of our wonderful problem solving policies is to argue that the downward trends will resolve if we double down on our efforts and try them longer and harder.
Forgive me for laughing but this is the sort of logic found in most failed scenarios. You know, if hitting your car with a hammer does not make it run better, then get a bigger hammer.
Enough already! If life is enhanced by right thinking and diminished by wrong thinking, then so also is our national condition. If America worked so well from its inception until recently, then is it at all possible it did so because of our foundational concepts of free enterprise, limited government and personal freedom? And if that is the case, is our current failure the result of nationalizing banks, automakers, increased regulations and the astronomical growth of government as indicated by the doubling of our national debt?
Now I am not a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon, but it should not take any astounding brilliance to understand that, if there is a cause and effect relationship in government policy and our national economy and general welfare, than , “Hay Huston, we have a problem!”
Frankly, trying the same thing harder for four more years scares me. “Forward,” you say? Scares me to death! Can someone please stand on the bridge and shout,
