Yes, Fallacies of Logic Should be a School Subject

    Argument could be made --good argument -- that the fallacies of logic should be added to school curriculum. Some might even suggest it about as important of a topic as there is.

   Consider then, if it is true. Consider that most every politician, most every pundit, most every person discussing the affairs of our nation is guilty of breaking the rules of logic. Some do it every time they open their mouths, and others only sparingly. But few stay completely within the rules. 

   Consider that truth would be easier to discern for all of us, if pundits and commentators played by the rules. Consider that a good part of incivility would disappear. Call it peace, isn't that worth something? Consider that when politicians did try to get away with false logic, we would recognize it and hold them accountable. Consider that we would elect better officials. Consider it would help tear us from the Republican/Democrat divide. If we were trained in logical thinking, we could decide who we would vote for based on facts, instead of rhetoric. 

   Yes, these things are as important as knowing how to construct a sentence, as important as knowing how to figure percentages without using your iPhone. They are as important as biology or world history.

    Yes, fallacies of logic should be a school subject. 

Many in the Left and Right are Guilty of These Fallacies of Logic

   Fallacies of Logic: The whole Left vs. Right thing is there in large part simply because many on both sides are guilty of Fallacies of Logic.

   They practice the Straw Figure Fallacy (previously called the Strawman, until someone decided that was sexist). In it, you mischaracterize another person's believes so you can attack them easier. Maxine Waters may never have called for violence, but you say she did, twisting her words to fit your attack.

   Then, there is the False Dichotomy or False Dilemma Fallacy. You assume there are just two views of the world, Left and Right. You narrow all believes to just those two categories and disregard that many people have some beliefs that fit in one category and other believes that fit in the other. The world is Black and White to you. There is no middle ground. This is also known as the Either/Or Fallacy. "You are either for us or against us," is the claim. You are either a Democrat or a Republican. No middle ground. 

  There are probably more Logic Fallacies the two sides are guilty of. For now, that will do, though.

Led by Those in U.S. and Canada, Glaciers Melting Faster Than Ever

    The pace of melting glaciers has picked up dramatically. A new study says they are losing 31 percent more snow and ice than they were just 15 years earlier.

    "An alarming picture," Ohio State's Lonnie Thompson said of the new study.

   The world is facing a "bigger and bigger problem," said National Snow and Ice Data Center Director Mark Serreze. 

   The scientists calculated that the mountain glaciers have been losing more than 328 billion tons a year since 2015. Half the glacial decline is in the United States and Canada. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/satellites-show-worlds-glaciers-melting-faster-ever-rcna791?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_mc&fbclid=IwAR08AsBEnSEX8jTSFwVc62hy-wfucznic9_g5seNLXU0MufeCz5zvZJa7p8

Thoughts on Three of the Day's News Stories

  Some thoughts on some of the news of the day:

 President Biden, Keep Your Promise

  President Biden, when a candidate, promised to "end dark money groups," according to a Washington Post story that referenced information from a publication known as The Daily 202. As a candidate, Biden promised he would ensure that "any entity of any kind that spends more than $10,000 on federal elections . . . must publicly disclosed its donors."  

  Overturning the present dark money rules -- some of which were instituted during the Trump administration five months before the election -- might be a little more uncomfortable for President Biden than it was for candidate Biden, though. The new dark money allowance ended up benefiting Biden, as his campaign took in $145 million in dark money, compared to only $28.4 million for Donald Trump. (The Trump-era changes increased some nonprofits ability to campaign for a candidate while concealing their names.)

  Roll back the Trump-era errors. No, go further, President Biden. Do as you promised in the campaign. If anyone spends more than $10,000 on a federal election -- whether contributing directly to the campaign or operating as a PAC -- require them to reveal their identity. In fact, lower it to $5,000 or even $1,000, if you will. 

Rep. Owens Deserved a Setting-Straight, and got it

   Utah Rep. Burgess Owens deserved -- and received -- a setting straight after going on Fox News Monday and saying, "My city of Salt Lake City, they defunded (police) by $5 million and the murder rate went up 40 percent."

   The Salt Lake Tribune came back the next day, noting that while some funding was moved off the police department's ledger, the overall funding for police went up from $79.1 million to $82.2 million. Homicides did increase from 12 to 16 in a twelve month period, but in a city with a low homicide rate, just a difference of few can translate into a large percentage, in this case, 33 percent. (Where Owens got 40 percent is not clear.)

TaylorMED's Inexpensive MRIs Help Hold Down Medical Costs

   TaylorMED MRI in Lindon, Utah, is offering pricing that counters today's high medical costs. While an MRI typically might cost $2,611 nationwide, TaylorMED offers it for $399. So, TaylorMED, though operating outside of the insurance network and therefore requiring the payment all out-of-pocket, still sometimes is less expensive than the hospitals, since many insurance plans have high deductibles. 

   TaylorMED, created by Kevin Taylor, who trained at the Mayo Clinic, does not require a doctor's referral, and scheduling is possible within a day or two, if not on a walk-in basis. Once you have the MRI, you take it to your doctor for evaluation.

Let's Create Immediate Immigration (I.I.)

   I.I., we shall call it. It stands for Immediate Immigration. Come to the border, and within 72 hours you will receive a decision on whether you can stay. Background checking, contact with family and friends already in the U.S., receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, the court hearing a . . .

   All completed within 72 hours. The point is: Is there good reason this cannot be done? How long does it take to pick up a phone and call family members already here? Could background checking take longer? If you have to wait for police officials in Venezuela to say whether someone is MS-13, perhaps so. But, do the police in Venezuela even keep such records? Instead, call their local church. Call other community sources. Get the best read you can and go with it. I would not be surprised if this is more than what we currently do. Use those same sources -- churches and other community leaders -- to determine if the applicant's claims are correct: Is coming to America due to economic hardship, or need of a job, or because of threat to their lives. Those calls can be made quickly, and using these sources, those you are calling often will be able to verify the need.

   And, yes, if you need rewrite the laws to make it work, do so. I do not believe many of those coming in at our southern border come as refugees. Make it so they can. 

   Immediate Immigration: it is possible, it can work, and we should do it. 

      

Thoughts on Communism, Socialism, and Communal Ownership

    A few quick thoughts on the difference between communal living and the government owning and running all businesses. Without wanting to get lost in all the official definitions of communism, socialism, etc., here are some thoughts.

   If government owns and runs all the businesses -- even if it provides equal pay -- that is different than communal living. There is still an owner -- the government -- and the government is not the people. Under communal living, there is no one above the community, the people. As a general rule, government ownership of all things is not good. 

   Not all government-owned, government-ran businesses are bad, however. Such things as the Postal Service might be better to be government-owned, government-ran. Indeed, such things as prisons definitely should not be "privatized."

   Consider Joseph sold into Egypt, and how he -- as a government official -- saved food for seven years of plenty, then distributed it during the seven years of famine. Would we say that that was wrong, or unwise, or wicked?

    

Don't Cancel Looney Tunes and don't Put Warning Label on Them, but . . .

    I would cancel one more thing: Looney Tunes. Okay, maybe I wouldn't cancel them, but how about putting a warning label on them? Guess I wouldn't do that, either. But, I do believe many of the Looney Tunes and other cartoons are a poor influence on us.

   Oh, boy, sighs the audience. 

    But, I will hold to my view. Somehow, laughing at people (okay, animals) getting hurt and hurting each other doesn't sit well with me. I love humor, but you can have humor without laughing at the pain of others. This does have an influence on us. We are influenced by what we learn to laugh at.