Exam 6: Relevance Red Herringfallacies

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. You know very well I don't care what Mason says about investments or,for that matter,anything else.That guy is the most money-grubbing creep I've ever run into;all he ever cares about is where his next dollar is coming from.He can take his opinions and stick 'em in his ear.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "Outlawing hate speech-the latest bright idea from so-called progressives."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "There's no reason to investigate something that never happened." -Bush administration spokesman Marlin Fitzwater,when asked what he thought about an investigation of charges that the 1980 Reagan campaign made a deal with Iran to delay release of American hostages until after that year's presidential election.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. From a letter to the editor:"The Times" editorial headed 'The Murder of Innocents' deplored the motive behind the Air India tragedy by posing the following question:'What possible reason could there be for killing 329 innocents,so many of them children ...?' The writer then urges Americans never to accept some 'maniacal logic' that offers an excuse for such a heinous crime. "Below this editorial followed a second,which urged the governor to strike from a family-planning bill awaiting his signature a stipulation prohibiting state funding for any family-planning agency that provides abortions,or incentives or referrals to obtain them." "What an incongruous position-to condemn the murder of 80 innocent children in a plane over the Atlantic,but to condone the murder of 4,000 children nationwide per day in the womb." "Isn't this the very same 'maniacal logic' that permits constant slaughter under the guise of 'family planning,' a euphemistic term to obscure another form of 'murder of the innocents'?"

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. No,I do NOT believe that a murderer ought to be allowed to live.No way! Murderers have forfeited the right to live because anyone who murders another person has lost that right.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. It's clear enough to me that Senator John McCain would have made a great president.Look,it isn't often that we get a chance to elect a guy who's a war hero,a prisoner of war in an enemy prison camp,and we ought to have done it when we had the chance.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "Listen,Higgins.I need your vote in the next department election or I may not get elected chair.Remember,if I do get elected,it will be me who decides what hours your classes meet next year."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Preferential treatment in hiring is something we must support;after all,can you think of a reason why we shouldn't?

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "I certainly don't think much of the totalitarian form of government.A so-called free election with only one candidate is not free at all." "Oh,I don't know.I don't think it's all that bad." "Why not?" "Just look at our elections.Sure,we have more than one person running,but the candidates are all alike.They might just as well be one person,for all the difference there is among them."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Pop,a new car may be expensive,but do you want me to drive around in this junk pile the rest of my life?

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "Do you think you might learn something about farming by watching the Amish? Come on! Those people are still living in the 19^th century,or maybe the 18^th."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "After Sara got back from Cuba she raved about the wonderful health care there. Spare me.I know Sarah.She would praise a communist country even if people were dying in the streets."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "The Sims just have to do well in their new business.They've put everything they had into it,and they absolutely must succeed or they'll be ruined.I'm thinking they'll do great work and I'm certainly going to throw my business their way."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "When [Nidal] Ayyad [convicted of conspiring to blow up the World Trade Center in 1993] complained that 'human rights advocates' had not monitored his treatment during months of detention,[U.S.District Judge Kevin T.] Duffy interjected:'Did human rights organizations monitor the people whom you killed?'" -Robert L.Jackson,in the Los Angeles Times

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "I will reduce your mortgage payments by 25 percent.Take the offer while you can.It is a very good deal.If you don't,you can expect to hear from my friend,the sheriff."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Overheard:"There's absolutely no point in asking a conservationist if toxic wastes are contaminating Butte County well water.As a conservationist,of course he'll say that they are."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Ann Landers did an informal survey on sex.Many people responded,some of them favorably,but a lot unfavorably.In a follow-up column,she wrote,"Comments by Erica Jong,Andrew Greeley,Helen Gurley Brown,Gay Talese,and Gloria Steinem showed insight and understanding.A few so-called sex experts who called the survey 'dangerous' demonstrated incredible ignorance and missed the point completely."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "Buy now while supplies last!"

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "Re:'New York taxes soak the poor.' The article stated that a family of four with an income of $11,000 pays over 14 percent of its income on state taxes.So what? The only way that could be done is if they spent half their income on high tax items such as liquor and cigarettes and movies.I,for one,won't shed any tears." -From a letter to the editor

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Getting on Senator Davis's case about the propriety of some of his financial dealings strikes me as just plain carping.Davis made a considerable economic sacrifice when he left private industry and entered politics;the people of this district are lucky to have him there.