Allow me to pick on George W. Bush. In his 2005 speech on The Future of Immigration Policy, he states, "By defending our border, you're defending our liberty, and our citizens, and our way of life". This is a prime example of a false cause. Bush drew a connection between two things not because they are actually tied together, but because it adds to his argument. The President's use of a false cause also appeals to the emotions of his audience, but his appealing to the audience is done without any facts to back up the conclusion.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Logical Fallacies in a Presidential Speech
A formal speech is the best way to broadcast a set of ideas out to the public. Some of the most powerful movements were started in part by speeches. As a president, it is required that you make speeches regularly and in times of crisis. However, unlike debates, speeches are completely un-moderated and the speech giver can say whatever they want. While this may not matter when the speech is delivered by someone of moderate importance, when the president is giving a speech, it is in everyone's best interests to know what his points are and his evidence. When examining speeches such as these, logical fallacies can play a huge role.
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Good post and good example of that type of fallacy. I think this is one of the more outlandish ways politicians try to convince there audience that what they claim is true.
ReplyDeleteI think that politicians exploit that fallacy many times, because it makes for entertaining and motivating language. George Bush was great at appealing to emotion, but not great at using logic correctly.
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