Critical thinking 101

+In the last post I mentioned a lot of dirty political stuff going on and in this one I'm going to show how a little bit of critical thinking can go a long way in keeping you from making an idiot out of yourself. Too often we pass on whatever we hear without question, usually because it reinforces something we're already inclined to believe or we got it from a "reputable source" like an email or the radio. The thing I find maddening about this is that you don't have to have a research library or spend precious minutes searching the Internet to know when you're hearing bull shit. Generally I find the best question to ask when hearing any spurious claim is: "does this add up?". While a comprehensive list of logical fallacies heard in every day life would take far more space than I'd care to use right now, I'm going to use a specific example to point out examples. Since the "Who is Barack Obama?" email hoax has been around for a long time and in the news lately I'm going to use it as my example here. I also use this one since most of its claims are what I call "rat poison" lies. Just as rat poison consists of mostly food, with a little poison mixed in, most lies have a little truth (albeit twisted and distorted) mixed in. And any time you mix a lie with the truth you only create a more dangerous lie. The claims have been thoroughly refuted, so I won't go out of my way to point out every factual error just the stuff that should be a red-flag to a thinking person that they're not reading a factual account. So here's the email and then my breakdown will follow.


Who is Barack Obama?Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice. If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about itand share it.We checked this out on "HYPERLINK "http://snopes.com/" \nsnopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself.Who is Barack Obama? Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was bornin Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHIEST from Wichita, Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia.When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocate to Indonesia. Obamaattended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school. Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic School." Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that he is not a radical. Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama' s mother, Ann Dunham,introduced his stepson to Islam.Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible but instead the Koran Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegience nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy. The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!! Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?...... NOT ME!!! .

observations:
-First of all I thought putting the line in there about checking it out on snopes.com was brilliant. Whoever did that clearly knew enough about human nature to know that most people will take their word for it and not check the link themselves. If they were to click on it they would learn that snopes (a reference page for checking out urban legends) completely debunks this story.

-These things always tell you to forward it to everyone you know NOW! The survival of the world depends on it! Never underestimate the power of fear to destroy logic. A similar phenomenon can be observed when politicians use phases like "mushroom cloud over an American city" or "world war 3". This is not said to get you to think rationally but to not entertain any doubts.

-"very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it" So right here we have a pretty good idea who this is intended to appeal to. Note that you are asked to pray about it rather than to think about it. A good prayer for this occasion would be: "Lord, please help me to know when people are full of it. And protect me from anyone who thinks you are so powerless that you need them to be your enforcer here on earth. Amen".

-Have you noticed yet that his full name is used 4 times? I wonder if this is to compare him to the late King Hussein of Jordan. Probably not. Please feel free to not vote if some one's middle name the major issue for you. Keep this in mind: in the nineties "George Bush" was a common name for babies in Kuwait, so a lot of kids in that part of the world probably have similar problems ahead of them

-"Barack Hussein Obama was bornin Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHIEST from Wichita, Kansas." - This one cracks me up as well. Did you notice the words ATHEIST and MUSLIM? They thought those might slip past you without the all caps. I think the part that slips through here (and the author's real issue with the Senator) are the words preceding those. Capitalizing WHITE and BLACK would be a little over the top, better to plant the thought in your mind and hope that you care about that kind of thing (And if you do have a problem with that feel free to have a hunting accident or something).

-"His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia." So the guy who is a RADICAL (and presumably very fundamentalist) Muslim marries a divorcee with a child. (Who don't forget, is an ATHEIST infidel) That's a little fishy don't you think? Hopefully the fear hasn't worn off so you're not being rational.

-"Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world." So his mother the "ATHEIST" sends him to a school that teaches fundamentalist Islam? Come on. Jerry Falwell couldn't have made up something this ridiculous. (but not for lack of trying)

-"keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible" This wouldn't bother me even if it was true, which it is not (I'm sure it was an honest mistake by whoever originated this since I'd bet that that person thinks "they all look alike") Theodore Roosevelt wasn't sworn in on a bible and wanted to take "in God We Trust" off of the currency. Last I checked, he was considered a pretty good president being enshrined on Mount Freakin' Rushmore and all. I personally believe (and I say this as a Christian, a Baptist no less) that all oaths of office should be taken with a hand on a copy of the Constitution, rather than a religious text. But, getting back to the point, do they expect me to believe that this guy does everything in his power to hide the fact that he's a Muslim (even going so far as to join a church) but then demands to be sworn in on a Koran in the middle of the capitol, with cameras everywhere? Yeah, that adds up. That makes about as much sense as a terrorist getting all kinds of safe houses and fake ID's and then showing up at the airport wearing a shirt that says "HI-JACKER" across the front.

-"Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches." Again it seems like a sleeper agent would know better than to draw this kind of attention to himself. Because we all know reciting the pledge and putting your hand over your heart are what makes one a real patriot. There's no way anyone who does these things could ever be a danger to the republic. Anyone who wraps them self in a flag and carries a cross must be on the up-and-up.

"The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out." Gosh, how did I miss that one? Did "the Muslims" hold a press conference or just put out a written statement? Do you suppose they voted on the idea? Or was it just decided by the "King of Muslims"? What have "the Christians" said in response? To claim the Bin Ladens and Husseins of the world represent all (or even most) Muslims is about as rational of claim as saying that the Grand Inquisitor of Spain represents all Christians.

-In conclusion, never let the facts get in the way of irrational fear.