One particular tactic for shaping opinions in our society has become very apparent to me. I don't think this is something that I've recently noticed. I know I have been aware of it for a very long time. But, I do wonder how many of my readers see things this way. At its root, the problem with this tactic is not a lack of sound logic, but a lack of sound premises. In fact, there is no mention of premises at all. So, I suppose, we can call this opinion shaping tactic "unspoken false premise tactic".
Allow me to illustrate this tactic with a recent Daily Show segment. I'll first say that I love the Daily Show with John Stewart. His show and the Cobert Report are the funniest politically oriented comedy shows available. However, I appreciate them for their comedy, and often not for the underlying message that could be inferred or deduced. In a recent segment, which I actually saw via a video clip posted on FaceBook, Mr. Stewart had some fun with a recent congressional bill aimed at providing medical assistance for first responders to the tragedy in NYC on September 11, 2001.
The joke here, was at the expense of the Republicans who were against the proposed bill - mainly, it seemed, on the grounds of a new tax that would be needed to pay for the bill. The reason it was funny, was that Mr. Stewart made the entire situation appear to be so simple that there should be no argument. In the first case, who wouldn't want to help the heros of 9/11? Who would want to deny them medical treatment, especially required medical treatment that was directly related to their service in the days that followed the collapse of the twin towers? No one. No one in their right mind would suggest that these heros not receive every opportunity to be healed by modern medicine. There is no error in this logic, but there is a gross error in the unstated premise.
The unstated premise is that there needs to be a new law created to address this issue in the first place. While I agree, and everyone agrees, that the first responders to that national tragedy deserve medical coverage and medical treatment, don't most if not all of us also agree that all citizens of these United States should also receive medical coverage and treatment? Isn't that what the recent Healthcare Reform Law was supposed to address?
The unstated false premise is a danger to our country. As educated and informed citizens, we must all take a moment to identify what the premises of any argument are.
Here are a few things to consider:
Most of society agrees that child pornography should be illegal. So, many authorities are pushing for new ways to censor content on the Internet. Will laws that permit monitoring and censorship actually do anything to stop child pornography? Probably not. But, that won't stop those whose agenda is to be in a position to censor from trying to use that emotionally charged topic as a means to further their agenda. No doubt, at some point, those who oppose such a bill will be labeled as "pro child-porn". If we aren't paying attention to the unspoken false premise - we just might end up throwing stones at defenders of liberty.
History showed us that when alcohol was made illegal, that black-market booze became an underground success. The gangs that controlled that trade are not so different from the gangs that control the drug trade today. The emotionally charged reality is that no one in their right mind wants to see their loved ones strung out on drugs or booze. No one wants innocents killed at the hands of drug fiends! The unspoken premise, which is false, is that a law prohibiting the sale and/or possession of said drugs will actually remedy the situation. In fact, it has made things worse in many ways. Just to name two ways: It criminalizes people who might otherwise seek help to overcome an addiction, and it creates a black market where competition drives people to commit murder to defend turf.
In my humble opinion, we should be seeking to educate our masses, rather than polarize them into two parties destined to never see eye-to-eye. We should focus the power of law to enable education both intellectual and emotional, and to address issues that can have measured results. If a law does not have the intended impact, it should be removed.
Keep your thinking caps on, my friends. I think it may get worse before it gets better.
KRW
