In response to the question on the schedule about arguments that happen around us every day, and methods of persuasion, it seems that this week is rife with examples. The week began with the State of the Union address, an argument unto itself, and the argument it presented-- for additional troops in Iraq-- has been hotly contested weeks for the announcement was made a few weeks ago. Each side uses its own argument, with supporting evidence, key points, and, regrettably, a tendency for logical fallacies.
Besides politics, we have commercial avenues for argument, as advertisers attempt to persuade us to buy one product over another.
Both of these types of examples have been around forever. What seems to be relatively recent (mainly due to our 24-hour news channels) is our tendency as a society to milk the news for everything it has to offer. For example, the story about the couple getting kicked off their flight because their child was throwing a tantrum has ignited new debates--on whether it was justified-- as well as some old ones--on whether or not parents have gone too soft in disciplining their children. Stories like this fuel a need for drama and antagonism essential to keeping the ratings up for news channels (and simply giving them something to fill the void with).
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