How to build a strawman

Or, how not to construct a logical argument.

I came across this from another blog/forum/thingy http://www.naturalnews.com/019364.html and then you start to realize how totally disconnected from reality some people are. So let's dissect this a little.

Firstly a rant about "extreme skeptics" where he constructs the definitions. So we get into the meat of the thing.

I mean the pseudoscientific zealots who berate anyone who believes in acupuncture, massage therapy, homeopathy, herbal medicine, sunlight therapy, breath therapy, meditation or any number of other natural healing modalities.

The so-called therepies for which not a jot of evidence exists for their efficacy in that list are: acupuncture, homeopathy, sunlight therapy (I'm assuming he means breathairians or something here - he doesn't define the term), breath therapy - what ever that is again he doesn't define it.

With the known useless lots he then puts in some of the maybe useful ones massage therapy - well we like a nice relaxing massage it feels good, herbal medicine - we all know some herbal remedies do stuff, they are often the precursors to real tested medicines, meditation - being introspective and thinking about things can be good too I'd not generally class it as 'medicine' though

Now it comes

They think vitamins are useless,acupunctureis quackery, and that all medical treatment should be limited todrugs, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

vitamins are useless? Let's meet all these skeptics who think vitamins are useless. It was scientists who discovered the things, why they are needed and the biological functions they perform. Yet he believes these scientists and doctors believe them to be useless. That is the start of a towering straw-man.

acupuncture is quackery - well it is, it's been shown that sham acupuncture has a better outcome than the traditional thing

All medical treatments consist of well you can see the list for yourself. Hands up all you skeptics who believe medicine only consists of drugs, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Come on, I want you all to come out of the closet and make yourselves known.

These extremeskepticsare truly impressive in the depth of their knowledge: There is nothing true in the universe that they don't already know. All science has already been discovered, they proclaim

Well, we know all science hasn't been discovered. If it had been science would stop (thanks Dara)

therefore all new "whacky" ideas about vibrational healing, energymedicineor nutritional therapy are based on nothing butquackery.

Now nutritional therapy is strange on, the regulated occupation is "dietitian" but we'll go with it, doctors have been rattling on for decades about eating properly, cutting down on fats and meat, getting your nutrients from well prepared and properly cooked vegetables and fruit. Indeed this kind of diet has seen mankind through some 2 million years of evolution, there is nothing new here but people don't listen. Heck a good steak tastes damn good.

That's why they've constructed an intellectual moat in order to keep all such bad ideas out of the Church of Logic.

Instead of just preaching and criticizingly, lets see the meat - ok, we're back to eating again - let's see the evidence, properly constructed for these so-called treatments. Vibrational energy, healing energy, homeopathy. It's no good just saying "it works because we say it works" let's see the evidence. Produce the detectors for this energy, let's see the needles move, let's see the physics. One thing we are damn good at doing is detecting energy, we can detect the energy from a single photon emitted at the very birth of the universe 14G years ago. If it has an effect, it can be measured.

Well the rest of the article carries on in much the same way. Build a straw-man and then demolish the argument based on things that nobody believes to be true in the first place.

The popes speach

Well let's have a look

"Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many"

Interesting "Got mit uns" strange way to eradicate god when "God is with us" is your bleeding motto. Yes, Britain may have stood against the nazis, unlike the frigging pope who joined them. Shame he didn't think it was so bad when he became a party member.

"I also recall the regime's attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives."

More guts and courage than the cowardly pope had then. But you can't expect much from a tyranical, nazi supporter.

"In more recent years, the international community has followed closely events in Northern Ireland which have led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement "

No thanks to catholic priests at least one of whom has been implicated as a direct supporter of the IRA. I can imagine the confessions

"Forgive me father for I have sinned. I managed to murder three prosies"

"Go in peace my son and do better tomorrow"

"Looking abroad, the United Kingdom remains a key figure politically and economically on the international stage."

His cardinal thought that Britain was a 3rd world nation.

"Today, the United Kingdom strives to be a modern and multicultural society."

Yes, and it would actually get there if it weren't for gross bigots like the pope and the RCC. Modern and multicultural eh? Like equality for all? Or is it just equality for for those who believe the out-dated doctrines of a 1500 year old secretive organization? So, we should expect to see support for small families, equal rights for homosexuals including marriage, well, that is probably what we would expect.

"Let it not obscure the Christian foundation that underpins its freedoms; and may that patrimony, which has always served the nation well, constantly inform the example your Government and people..."

Ah I guess not. So it's not a modern culture the pope wants, it's christian foundation. So no equality and support for equal rights in a modern democracy. Then what would the pope know about democracy? A fully paid up supporter of the nazis and then into a hierarchical structure of the RCC. Seems not to be much difference there really.

And then the bigot tops it all off by stating "that patrimony, which has always served the nation well, " It's a frigging queen you moronic git! Patrimony my arse.

Nothing about him defending, supporting and hiding from justice his priests who's favourite sport is buggering little boys! Or encouraging the spread of HIV by their outrageous and ignorant policies. Or their encouraging people to out-grow all their local resources leading to death and starvation. We need a couple of good hangings until they see the error of their ways.

Chavs on Facebook

Why is it that whenever a chav dies deservingly someone goes and dedicates a facebook page to him? They are always the same, "You weren't bad you were just misunderstood". Well actually no, he was bad and it's bad parenting and inbreeding.

Crash a car or get killed by their intended victim and the parents and family go and start a facebook page rather than keeping their heads down. The latest is for Tyler Juett killed breaking into someone's home while armed. I just hope the scrote didn't have a chance to pass on his chav genes.

Good decision by the CPS to drop charges against the intended victim this time.