On argumentation techniques in this country

Please, this is not a post about President Obama. The cartoon above points out what has become  a serious problem in our political discussions in this country. Many people know very little about history today, and are even less interested about it. Even when someone is interested about history, one look at the Internet is enough to bring up competing theories and conspiracy theories about almost any event in history. Unfortunately, as a recent study pointed out, people do not know how to interpret what they read on the Internet, so that they are not able to differentiate between accurate information and highly tendentious information. More than that, there is a growing tendency in the USA to accept what is considered highly tendentious information and to accuse those who point out how tendentious it is of trying to suppress the truth.

This is not something completely new. For instance, remember the decades of insistence that “Area 51” in Roswell, New Mexico, is hiding evidence of contacts with extraterrestrials. Later, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy for decades provided grist to those who were convinced that there was a government cover-up of the presence of multiple assassins. It eventually was codified in a highly successful Hollywood movie that lionized one state attorney general who supposedly was the only one who wanted the truth to get out. It finally even managed to become a bit of a joke at the end of a film titled, “The Rock.”

But what has happened today is that there has begun to be a wholesale denial of what can even be found to be clearly present in history. For instance, income taxes in the early 1950’s were much higher than anything we experience today and yet there was an incredible economic surge. Crime in the 1980’s was much higher than anything we experience today, but today people are buying more guns and ammunition than ever before. Ammo prices have even begun to rise because of shortages in certain calibers of ammo. But, in today’s political climate it is common for people of either party to speak as though whatever they oppose is something that is brand new. (Alternatively, the claim is made that whatever is being opposed is far worse than anything that has been experienced before.) The opponent is accused of being in favor of something that the “American people” have never supported, even when there is clear historical evidence, nay proof, that the American people have indeed supported that in the past.

And there is a danger here for our political process. Politics has always tended toward exaggerated statements. But when the statements cross the line from exaggeration to extreme statements that deny history that is rather easy to verify, then there is the danger that our ability to choose for the future of our country is imperiled and there may be unexpected and dangerous side effects for our country. Both the birther and truther movements were examples of politics gone amuck to the point that there was no truth in the truther movement anymore. It is worthwhile remembering that some of the pogroms that Jews experienced in the Middle Ages came as a result of false rumors about Jews that were spread by people who bore the name of Christ. When politicians seek personal gain by making extreme statements, then sooner or later society pays a painful price. When people begin to believe those extreme statements, then sooner or later it gives birth to something terrible, whether terrible laws or terrible injustice, or terrible violence.

I will again say that we are to be people of truth. I have said that before. But, I will now add that the Sermon on the Mount calls us to be peacemakers. There is no blessing recorded in Scripture for those who make extreme statements, those who engage in violence, those whose tongues set forests on fire (see the Book of James), or those who are willing to libel and calumny others for political gain. I suspect that the Book of Proverbs would tend to say that those who will believe such people come under the heading of fools.

So this political season, remember our calling as peacemakers. This calling does not prevent us from making clear and reasoned and even passionate arguments for our opinions about the direction this country should take. But, remember that there is a difference between a passionate, reasoned, clear argument and lies, libel, and violent exaggeration.