The Logical Fallacy of Stacking the Deck

The term stacking the deck is a  fallacy in which any evidence that supports an opposing argument is simply rejected, omitted, or ignored. Stacking the deck is a technique thats commonly used in propaganda. It is also known as special pleading, ignoring the counterevidence, slanting, or one-sided assessment. Examples and Observations People sometimes make decisions by folding a piece of paper in half, and listing reasons in favor on one side, and reasons against on the other; then they decide intuitively which side has stronger (not necessarily more) reasons. This method forces us to look at both sides of an issue before we decide. In the incorrect form, we just look at half the picture; this is called stacking the deck. (Harry J. Gensler, Introduction to Logic. Routledge, 2002)Gamblers stack the deck in their favor by arranging the cards so that they will win. Writers stack the deck by ignoring any evidence or arguments that dont support their position. I once experienced stacking the deck when I went to buy a used car. The man trying to sell me the car talked only about how wonderful the car was. After I bought the car, another man tried to sell me an extended warranty by pointing out all the things that could break down. (Gary Layne Hatch, Arguing in Communities. Mayfield, 1996) Deck Stacking in Arguments for and Against the Legalization of Drugs [A] recent ABC show on drugs . . . distorted, omitted or manipulated drug reality. What was piously described as an attempt to open discussion on different approaches to the drug problem was simply a long promotion for legalization of drugs. . . .The program dwells with utmost respect on legalization efforts in Britain and the Netherlands. But it omits evidence of failure. It gives no time to British and Dutch experts who say they have been a disaster, or to Zurichs decision to close its infamous needle park, or to the rise in crime and drug addiction in the Netherlands, or the fact that Italy, which decriminalized possession of heroin in 1975, now leads Western Europe in per capita heroin addiction, with 350,000 addicts.The deck is stacked like a monte game. The advocates of some form of legalization include a judge, police chiefs, a mayor. But nothing is said about the great majority of judges, police officers and mayors who are opposed to legalization by any alias. (A.M. Rosentha l, On My Mind; Stacking the Deck. The New York Times, April 14, 1995)When the White House issued a statement last night saying that marijuana should remain illegal--responding to our pro-legalization editorial series--officials there weren’t just expressing an opinion. They were following the law. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is required by statute to oppose all efforts to legalize any banned drug.It’s one of the most anti-scientific, know-nothing provisions in any federal law, but it remains an active imposition on every White House. The drug czar, as the director of the drug control policy office is informally known, must take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance that’s listed on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and has no approved medical use.Marijuana fits that description, as do heroin and LSD. But unlike those far more dangerous drugs, marijuana has medical benefits that are widely known and are now officially recognized in 35 states. The drug czar, though, isn’t allowed to recognize them, and whenever any member of Congress tries to change that, the White House office is required to stand up and block the effort. It cannot allow any federal study that might demonstrate the rapidly changing medical consensus on marijuana’s benefits and its relative lack of harm compared to alcohol and tobacco.(David Firestone, The Required White House Response on Marijuana. The New York Times, July 29, 2014) Stacking the Deck on Talk Shows Biased talk-show hosts often stack the deck in their discussions of controversial issues by choosing more qualified and dynamic guests to represent the viewpoints they favor. If, by chance, the other guests seem to be overcoming the disadvantage, the host will interrupt and make it a two-on-one debate. An even more outrageous form of stacking the deck is for talk-show hosts and program directors to ignore entirely the side of the issue they disagree with.(Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, Making Your Mind Matter: Strategies for Increasing Practical Intelligence. Rowman Littlefield, 2003)

Free Will Ancient Literature - 1536 Words

Concept of Free Will: Ancient Literature in the West Free will is considered to be a philosophical term for a course of action among many possible options. It is a topic that almost every philosopher has debated for over two millennia. â€Å"Free will is defined as the ability to select a course of action as a means of fulfilling some desire† (O’Connor, 2002). Many philosophers think that free will is closely associated with moral responsibility as well as freedom of action. Free will is a human necessity that has helped transform our society into the civilization it is today. â€Å"Determinism is another philosophical concept, which states that human life is pre-determined by such forces as gods, fate or destiny† (Cross Reference Project, 2015). The concept of free will versus fate is a prominent theme in much of literature especially those of the ancient West. Stories such as Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey as well as Virgil’s Aeneid helped pave the way for literature to inspire society to evolve and provide us with depictions of characters who had the ability to freely choose actions and struggle with their consequences versus living lives pre-determined by events due to environmental factors, original sin, and gods. The similarities of Achilles, Odysseus, and Aeneas are that all three men were able to freely think and make decisions. During the B.C era many people were slaves; therefore possessing the ability to make decisions was atypical and not the norm. So for theseShow MoreRelatedDaniel Handler: Lemony Snicket1561 Words   |  6 Pageslike.† One of the best examples of fate within literature is Shakespeares play Macbeth. Throughout the play Macbeth goes from noble man to murderous villain throughout his quest to change the fate presented to him by three witches who act as prophets to the other characters in the play. In the end Macbeth, despite his desperate attempts to change his fate, ends up in the exact situation that witches predicted throughout the play. Onc e fate and free will are put into perspective it almost seems sillyRead MoreThe Chinese Traditional Culture Influences On The Outdoor Leisure And The Nature Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pagestraditional culture emphasizes the coexistence between human and nature. Leisure (xiu xian) in the ancient Chinese study will uncover the relationship between ancient Chinese and their relationships with nature. Chinese xiuxian would be the most appropriate explanation for the western word leisure, the characters of â€Å"Xiu and Xian (ä ¼â€˜,éâ€" ²)† from its literally speaking that they represent the ancient Chinese understandings for the nature ( people rest beneath the tree), only through nature could humanRead MoreGreek Epics873 Words   |  4 Pagesthat history period. Homer; the authors of The Iliad and The Odyssey; and Vergil; the authors of The Aeneid are two of the greatest writers in ancient western civilization. There are heroes in these three literatures to reflect the society and culture: Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneid. The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the oldest ancient literatures by Homer in around 8th century B.C. (Homer, 2012). According to Redfield (1975), â€Å"the culture portrayed in Homer’s works is that of Greek Dark AgeRead MoreHistory And Traditions Of Ancient Egypt886 Words   |  4 Pagespreserves the values, concerns, and characteristics of the era. While the canonical literature of a civilization often reflects the most highly prized attributes of the society, more typical pieces of writing tend to offer a unique and realistic perspective on the civilization’s lifestyle. A collection of ancient Egyptian love poems written by average citizens was uncovered in Deir el-Medina and, like all other works of literature, within the writing, there are details indicative of their values. BecauseRead MoreInterpretation Of Dreams In Kalpa Sutra833 Words   |  4 Pagesas given in ancient Jain text – Kalpa Sutra. Further this psychology and interpretation of dreams h as been discussed in view of a renowned psychologist – Sigmund Freud how he understands of the psychology of dreams. The comparative analysis of Feud’s approach towards dreams interpretation with the ancient Indian approach as depicted in 2500 years old Jain book ‘Kalpa Sutra† will help us understand the extent of ancient Indian wisdom. Keywords Ancient Indian literature, Jain literature, Kalpa SutraRead MoreThe Rebirth Of Ancient Cultures1462 Words   |  6 PagesTeresa Fang Professor Moore Humanities 310 25 November 2015 The Rebirth of Ancient Cultures in Renaissance Florence Florence, Italy is known as the â€Å"cradle of the Renaissance† (la culla del Rinascimento). It is a city full of beautiful architecture, art, and history. The Renaissance was a powerful cultural movement that not only shaped all aspects of Florentine life, but eventually the rest of Europe. Science, art, literature, philosophy, religion, architecture, and politics have seen heavy influencesRead MoreEssay on The Culture and History of China1656 Words   |  7 Pageswho have greatly influenced Chinas economy, literature, and philosophy. Not only have each one of Chinas historical and contemporary leaders had an impact on China as a nation, but many of their ideas have flourished throughout literature which has allowed other countries around the world to attain those ideas and learn from them. One of China’s great leaders whose ideas, theories and philosophical ponderings have had a great impact on Chinas ancient and modern day societies is Master ConfuciusRead MoreI rish Nationalists Struggle for Independence from Britain957 Words   |  4 Pagescontinuity with an Irish past free of British influence. Both prior to and after achieving independence this was done through a revival of language, myth and folk culture and through the preservation of sites of historical and symbolic importance. One of the most notable examples of how nationalists strived to establish a suitable historic continuity in order to justify a sense of nationhood prior to Independence was through symbolism and the symbolic importance of ancient Irish sites and monumentsRead MoreModern And Modern Popular Media1419 Words   |  6 PagesAncient and modern popular media have misled audiences from the truth of the typical diet of lower strata of Roman society. Modern movies and books and even ancient satire, which was a popular culture medium of their day, all put forth a stereotype of the decadent and rich citizens of Imperial Rome as contrasted with the humble fare of the poor Romans. The modern media, possibly influenced by the ancient satire and the fact that much of our information about the Roman diet comes from what we knowRead MoreThe Cultural Analysis Of Outdoor Leisure Essay1732 Words   |  7 Pagesconceptualised the body culture to interpret the important role of culture influence on Chine se people’s everyday life behaviours ; while in its narrow sense, it implies mainly intellectual creations with philosophy as its core and others such as art, literature, religion, philosophy, ethics, etc. The culture was first defined by English Anthropologist Edward B. Tylor as being sophisticate package which involves belief, knowledge, law, art, custom, moral, as well as other capabilities and habits learnt

Business Cycles Aggregate Demand and Supply

Question: Discuss about the Business Cycles Aggregate Demand and Supply. Answer: Introduction: It is an oligopolistic market structure made up few large firms that dominate the market. Woolworths and Coles supermarket have a cumulative market share of 80 percent. Thus, they have a significant market power and influence the market prices and quantity of goods. As such, Coles, through its large market share has reduced its prices significantly through discounts of up to 50 percent (Edwards 2012). Consequently, this price wars pose great risks and may drive growers out of business. No, it is not in the best interest of Coles and Woolworths to have a price discount war. Mainly, this is because price wars may lead to a reduced profit margin. Woolworths and other competitors will be forced to reduce their prices, thereby reducing their profit margins. The strategy will affect the final consumer who will prefer to purchase cheaper alternatives. Thus, consumers may shift to Coles which has cheaper substitutes (Edwards 2012). The best strategy would be to compete on non-price factors like differentiation. The vegetable market is a monopolistic competition market structure. Mainly, this is because there are many farmers in the market who sell differentiated products, among them vegetables and melons, fruits, and nuts. The products are not close substitutes. Each seller occupies a small market share (Edwards 2012). Reduced prices will force farmers to reduce their prices. Otherwise, customers will shift to cheaper substitutes. In the short run, the farmers may increase the quantity of produce, thereby enhancing their profits. However, reducing prices will lead to a decline in revenues in the long run. Thus, firms make zero economic profits. As a result, small farmers may be forced to leave the market in the long run due to negative economic profits. Significant improvements in technology lead to increased productivity. Hence, firm can produce more efficiently and low costs. This allows them to charge low prices for goods and can thus compete with the prevailing market prices and make economic profits. Thus, they can overcome the price falls and stay in business in the long run. The key components of Aggregate demand include consumer spending, investments, exports, government spending, and imports. The RBA provided commentary on investments and exports. The prices of major export products are declining, thereby causing a decline in terms of trade between Australia and the rest of the world resulting in lower aggregate demand. Also, investments in housing assets and businesses increased steadily, enhancing AD (Stevens 2015) Consumer Price Index. Economic developments have led to decreased consumer prices. Oil prices have also decreased significantly due to lower growth in demand and significant increases in supply. The lower energy prices may increase global output and lower CPI inflation rates. Employment Indicators. Economic growth continued at a sluggish rate, and the overall demand remained weak. As a result, capital expenditure fell, causing the unemployment rate to increase in the previous financial year. Interest rate spread. The cash rate stagnated at 2.25 percent (Stevens 2015). The board also suggest that the interest rates should be held constant for some time. In turn, this is expected to enhance sustainable growth in demand and inflation in Australia. The Australian economy was below potential full employment, and there is room for improvement. The diagram shows that the economy is producing below its full potential (Guiton 2011). The Indian economy is experiencing an expansion. Mainly, this is because the economy is growing and its GDP is continuously positive. Also, the inflation rate is low at 5 percent, meeting the boards target (Pandey 2016). The graph shows that the economy is currently producing at a real GDP that is greater than the LRAS. On the business cycle, the Indian economy is producing at a point above its growth trend. The lower energy prices will affect the general supply of goods and price levels in India. Consequently, the LAS curve will shift to the right, allowing the marker to correct itself, bringing the economy to full employment. In 2016, inflation rates should be monitored closely to ensure it does not exceed the anticipated level. The upward risks to inflation require a strict contractionary monetary policy. Typically, this could be done through open market operations by selling securities to banks, thereby reducing their capital and capacity to lend. This leads to higher interest charges, thereby reducing inflation. The government can raise the reserve requirement and increase taxes, thereby reducing the amount of money in circulation (Pettinger 2010). Reference List Edwards, M. (2012). Fruit, veg prices slashed in supermarket price war. [Online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-31/concerns-over-fruit2c-vegetable-discounting/3802094 [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Eskra, K. (2016). Business Cycles, Aggregate Demand, and Aggregate Supply . [Online] Sophia. Available at: https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/business-cycles-aggregate-demand-and-aggregate-sup-2a396d80-bec5-414d-ab3e-7188735bc505 [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Gitton, H. (2011). Business Cycle. [Online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/business-cycle [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Pandey, V. (2016). India still Fastest-growing Economy in World Gripped by Uncertainty: IMF. [Online] The Economic Times. Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-still-fastest-growing-economy-in-world-gripped-by-uncertainty-imf/articleshow/51796401.cms [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Pettinger, T. (2010). Methods to Control Inflation. [Online] Economic Help. Available at: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/2269/economics/ways-to-reduce-inflation/html [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Stevens, G. (2015). Statement by Glenn Stevens, Governor: Monetary Policy Decision. [Online] Reserve Bank of Australia. Available at: https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2015/mr-15-05.html [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016].

Social Responsibility For Alcohol Makers Essays - Smoking

Social Responsibility For Alcohol Makers Ways of being responsible Companies should examine the issues facing their industry in general and their company in particular, such as the trend to prevent cancer in the smoking industry. Companies should also look at the impacts they have on the community and region [the petrol case]. Doing these two things would keep the company fresh and familiar with trends, as said earlier and changes in the buying environment, which Bennetton could of used in their problem in Germany. There is also a need to be sensitive to the community's feelings and needs, meaning that caution is required when designing packages or advertisements for a product so not to trigger a negative public response. Keep the idea that there are religious groups, races, or someone of another sex that might be offended. After a promotion is set up it should be culturally tested and the examined to see the effectiveness on sales after release as well as it's effect on the consumers and their perception of the promotions/advertisements. After all perception is everything. Another idea is to also have product tested by a sample group, just be for release, in order to see what response will be obtained from the public. This is to see if the response would be favorable or negative. For example, 2 years ago Nike released a shoe that had a logo on it that angered Moslems in the United States and forced Nike to recall the entire line of shoes for redesign. The shoe had a logo, which looked like a burning tree [such as in the bible]. This testing should be implemented in the different locations of the release of the product since there are different cultural values, beliefs, and perceptions. There should also be a good product recall program, developed a head of schedule as an eventual alternative to the development of a product, as a safety precaution. If after the release of a product defects are detected, there should not be any delay on recalling the product from the market. Failure to do this could result in either business suicide or face the possibility of lots of legal ramifications in the bitter near future. Image management When being accused of polluting the environment, image management should come into play. This could be done by a number of ways: 1. Keep a list of positive things the company does, which it can use in replies to letters and media inquiries: we use rechargeable batteries; our people drive low-polluting vehicles; our packaging reduction program has cut waste by __ percent, or __ thousands of tons per year. Sponsor a partner on a green event with another business, non- profit organization, or school: beach, road, or lake shore little cleanup. You could also say, we recycle. 2. Give away items to your customers with recycling, energy-saving, water-saving, and other ecological tips on them. Produce public service ads for local papers about your model environmental practices. Stage a weekly contest at your company, mall, or business community for environmental improvements, i.e., least total garbage produced, most packaging reduced, hazardous material substitute discovered, etc. Pay bonuses for or award prizes for greatest savings generated to the company. 3. Sponsor an environmental program on public radio or television, donate office equipment to an environmental group, or donate a portion of property as a public gardening plot. Donate to school environmental programs, non-profit environmental groups, garden clubs, and other organizations that work in partnership with businesses and citizens to improve environmental health. Work with a youth organization on a community-based environmental project, such as plastics recycling, or a hazardous waste or litter clean up day. Alert media to your participation. Call the media any time you sponsor an event [good publicity]. One method of curing problem of excess waste: Encourage employees and staff to report any resource wastes and environmental concerns. Place efficiency posters, stickers, or balloons where energy, water, and materials around heavily commuted areas at work [post in places like bathrooms, employee lounges, cafeterias, and kitchens]. Use conservation slogans or messages, change locations to keep up interest. Place articles about conservation and efficiency in company newsletters or on bulletin boards. Attach resource and efficiency messages to employee paychecks and invoices. Reward employees for