Sandy’s Guide to Political Rhetoric, part IXIVLMCIII

“I’m confused,” said in a smug tone.

Translation:

“My parents made up my mind for me when I was 3 years old, but I’ll feign confusion over a false dichotomy based on fallacious assumptions designed to make me feel better about a choice I never thought about, while pretending I’m part of the intelligensia.”

See also “pseudointellectuals” and “People who think Joseph Campbell is deep.”

PS – I know the Roman numerals are bullshit.

Update: If you’re wondering who Joseph Campbell is, read this. Basically he is the pseudointellectual justification that people who think Star Wars had any validity beyond a range war in space hide behind. He notes that various myths all have heroes in them that…do stuff…and then…learn something. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

3 thoughts on “Sandy’s Guide to Political Rhetoric, part IXIVLMCIII

  1. This should be distinguished from me saying, ‘Huh?’ in a confused tone, ’cause I think I’m missing some context.

    ‘”People who think Joseph Campbell is deep.”‘ should also be distinguished from “People who think Bruce Campbell is cool.” especially in _Army of Darkness_, which Rocks.

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  2. The context is that I keep hearing and reading “I’m confused,” said in a snarky tone of voice, followed by some fake dilemma or contradiction. This crosses political beliefs, gender, racial, ethnic, and age lines. It just got to me–I heard it one time too many.

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  3. Ahh, got it. “I’m Confused. You say you support X, but (through some slippery-slope and or question begging reasoning) this would lead to Y, which my straw-manly caricature of your position on the matter would see as a contradiction”

    Yeah, it’s a jackass’s argument style. Not that I’m not guilty.

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