 Quote:
Originally Posted by dex
I think the common flaw in all the scenarios is what is called - Excluded Middle (False Dichotomy, Faulty Dilemma, Bifurcation):assuming there are only two alternatives when in fact there are more. For example, assuming Atheism is the only alternative to Fundamentalism, or being a traitor is the only alternative to being a loud patriot.
A List Of Fallacious Arguments
For example in your scenarios - a few of other reasons might be:
1. Need - living expenses; obligation - pay loans
2. Less taxes forces the government to re-evaluate other spending and reallocate funds to support war costs.
3. The person believes there is better quality with American products |
Dex - I agree with you about there being multiple and valid motivations, that's clear. For instance, I don't have a strict "buy American" policy in my spending practices, primarily because I think it's only fair to consume products from other countries since they consume so many of ours. That said, I can understand people who say I'm being "unpatriotic," but in my mind the greater issue of global fairness trumps patriotism; in other examples, like taxes, patriotism comes out on top.
But regardless of the multitude of legitimate motivations, my question is is "patriotism" or "civic responsibility" one of those valid motivations in the examples I give, or is that a fallacy, as you argued about staying in the stock market? Do any of the three examples I give involve issues of patriotism, IYO?
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