I don’t know what kind of person pays to read a blog that is available free of charge, but since some do, I’ve made this blog available on Kindle. To my surprise, a few subscriptions have actually been purchased. I can’t say how many. Most likely, the five reviews posted on Amazon represent the entire list of subscribers. The other day, I was for the first time made aware of those reviews, and I got a kick out of reading them. Three are positive and two negative. Both of the negative reviews said I was too political. This post is for them.
On valid argumentation:
Suppose I say the moon is made of cheese. You say it’s not. I then ask, what, if not cheese, is it made of? You say you don’t know, but you know it’s not cheese. I say, “Well, unless you can propose another theory, you’ll have to accept mine.”
Or, suppose I look out my window and see the neighbor’s dog knock over my garbage cans and scatter trash all over my yard and across the street. I respond by grabbing my shotgun, stuffing my pockets full of 00 buck, and heading for the door. Then, suppose my wife gets nervous and asks me what in tarnation I’m up too. I explain that I intend to storm the neighbor’s house and blast everything that moves, including the neighbors.
“You can’t do that!” she says.
“Oh, yeah?” say I, “Well that’s exactly what I’m going to do, unless you’ve got a better idea.”
I’m not schooled in rhetoric well enough to know what to call that line of reasoning, but there must be a name for it. I’m going to call it argumentum stupidum for now. It states that if you don’t have an answer, my answer must be right. I encountered the example in my first paragraph in a recent discussion of John 2:4. My second example is a close approximation of one of the health-care fascists’ answers to objections to government regulation of the medical industry.
Take that for what it’s worth, which is, according to one of the positive Amazon reviews declaring this blog to be “Definitely worth the price!”, 99¢.
TrackBack URL: http://www.thirstytheologian.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1324
Share this post:
Posted in: Miscellaneous
Link · 4 Comments · 0 TrackBacks
← Previous · Home · Next →
4 Comments:
#1 || 10·03·16··14:28 || Dan Phillips
However did you get to be on Kindle? Do you get a "cut," or does it all go to Google?
I'd be afraid of the reviews!
0c:=
#2 || 10·03·16··15:58 || David
I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I don’t remember how I set up the Kindle thing. As an Amazon Associate, I received an email one day saying something like “click here to put your blog on Kindle,” so I did. I do get a cut, but I don’t know remember how much.
#3 || 10·03·16··21:21 || Dan Phillips
You're an "Amazon Associate"?
No one tells me anything.
#4 || 10·03·17··07:21 || David
Yeah, be impressed. It’s a pretty exclusive club that only admits everyone.
Comments on this post are closed. If you have a question or comment concerning this post, feel free to email us.