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Originally Posted by PepsiFree
I reject that idea entirely. It's actually perfectly fine if every argument isn't completely logically sound or doesn't follow the formal rules of argument and debate. Those rules don't make a whole lot of difference outside of academics.
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Well, I appreciate your clear statement of your view, but I obviously disagree completely. Making sense is
the most important thing there is in discussions about how we should engage with the world. That's only underscored by recent demonstrations of how human beings tend towards irrational stupidity.
You and I see that world very differently, and I understand that, but at this point I don't even know how to continue the conversation. I mean, I'm not sure what logical argument I could make to convince you of how important logical argument is...
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Look at what made Trump successful despite his faults: straight talk, kept simple. Regular people, not academics, made the difference in getting him elected.
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Yeah, and they were
wrong. Catastrophically wrong. Why would you want to adopt this methodology when it can lead ordinary people so completely astray? Oversimplifying complex concepts and failing to make nuanced distinctions where they're called for may be comforting to the masses of people who don't want to think very hard but it's disastrous. We need less of that, not more.
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And don't you worry, we all have loooooooots of ammunition for Trump.
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This was sort of my point; we have tons of ammo but it's not all equivalent. A flag burning amendment, or measures to restrict access by the press would be significant. Whether or not he's being a jerk on a given day, or for example whether his business hired immigrant labour, aren't so much. Given the sheer volume of dumb everyone's about to encounter, it's important to focus on the things that truly matter and truly pose a threat to the maintenance of civilization and America's role as a free country.