Why I will vote for McCain

[Anonymous]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

[Anonymous]

Powerful video. Unfortunately, the argument is a fallacy. The invasion of Iraq and the subsequent 5 years of US occupation have not advanced American security or American interests in ensuring stability and prosperity in the Middle East. And as someone who has worked in and on this part of the world I can say that anyone who knew anything about the Middle East recognized in 2003 that it would be a disaster. The political context made that a risky position to take, which is why I have special respect for Obama's judgment at that time and his willingness to speak out.

I have full respect for anyone who has served - obviously they are heroes and the fault lies with the policymakers who conceived of and approved this war. But the admirable devotion to duty of US servicemen & women should not be used to stifle an essential discussion about what went wrong and why; that would only doom us to repeating our tragic mistakes.

[jsteele]

Here's why I won't vote for McCain;

[Anonymous]

That clip is an example of the old logical fallacy of taking the statement that GWB made a mistake in sending our troops there and treating it as though it were a claim that our troops are making a mistake in being there. It's is as though someone said the attacks of 9/11 were an evil act and somehow interpreted it as accusing the firemen who went in there of participating in an evil act. In both cases the bravery and honor of those who served is independent of the motives or wisdom of those who created the situation. Note that the soldier's statement that the Iraqis are better off certainly does not apply to those who are dead!

And throwing in the patriotic music along with the reference to McCain's heroism and his heroic pose take this clip further into the realm of emotional manipulation. Without claiming that Dems do not use some of the same techniques (it probably started with the LBJ mushroom cloud commercial), I would strongly recommend that basing one's vote on that sort of cinema makes as much sense as basing it on the rantings of the most extreme supporters of the opposite side.

Once you have made up your mind, I can see how those things make you feel better about your choice. Many of our discussions here are much more understandable as reassurances of our own choices, rather than as arguments that might genuinely convince someone who is not already with us. I include myself in that, so please accept that as a self-diagnosis of all us rather than an accusation aimed at those who disagree with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That clip is an example of the old logical fallacy of taking the statement that GWB made a mistake in sending our troops there and treating it as though it were a claim that our troops are making a mistake in being there.

I wrote that about the first clip. Now I'll look at Jeff's, which appeared while I was writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wrote that about the first clip. Now I'll look at Jeff's, which appeared while I was writing.

The only trouble with that one is that using humor to highlight criticism has been cheapened recently by its use to mask dishonest criticism. And the use of actual film clips has been cheapened by things taken out of context in other films. This one is great if you already know that those flip-flops actually occurred.

Now I await the judgment of those with different biases.

[Anonymous]

I don't watch YouTube videos to help me decide who to vote for. Or TV. I realize I'm in a teeny tiny minority, but that's my bias.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't watch YouTube videos to help me decide who to vote for. Or TV. I realize I'm in a teeny tiny minority, but that's my bias.

YouTube is certainly not a reliable source, but it gets a lot of information quickly, and some of that information is actually important.

The first clip above is the opinion of one soldier, but I'm sure many soldiers agree. I know also that many soldiers don't. And we don't determine national policy by how soldiers feel about what they are doing.

The second clip suggests that McCain, while touting his experience, is actually running counter to it. I would not recommend that anyone take the clip on faith, since the quotes could have been pulled out of context. But I do think it makes a case that is worth following up to see whether it holds water.