Difference between revisions of "Something Must Be Done"
Paul Herring (talk | contribs) (Created page with "The "Politician's Syllogism" is a logical fallacy of the form: # We must do something # 'This' is something # Therefore we must do 'this' Aptly demonstrated in this episode o...") |
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| + | == Yes Minister == | ||
The "Politician's Syllogism" is a logical fallacy of the form: | The "Politician's Syllogism" is a logical fallacy of the form: | ||
# We must do something | # We must do something | ||
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Sir Humphrey: Doing anything is worse than doing nothing}} | Sir Humphrey: Doing anything is worse than doing nothing}} | ||
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| + | == Real Life == | ||
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| + | === UK Government - Exercise - 29 Aug 2012 === | ||
| + | {{quote|Conservatives' health spokesman Darren Millar said [[something must be done|more must be done]] to "coax people to do more and get off their sofa". | ||
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| + | "If they [the Welsh government] are flogging a dead horse it has to change," he said.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19404492 Welsh health survey: One in three take no exercise] - BBC News</ref>}} | ||
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| + | As one wag put it, "Well, yes, obviously; stop flogging it...<ref>[http://www.longrider.co.uk/blog/2012/08/29/orwell-had-it-sorted/ Orwell Had it Sorted] - Longrider blog</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 21:44, 26 September 2012
Yes Minister
The "Politician's Syllogism" is a logical fallacy of the form:
- We must do something
- 'This' is something
- Therefore we must do 'this'
Aptly demonstrated in this episode of Yes Minister:
{{#ev:youtube|vidzkYnaf6Y}}
Sir Arnold: It’s the old logical fallacy: All cats have four legs. My dog has four legs…..
Sir Humphrey: ...Therefore my dog is a cat.
Sir Arnold: He’s suffering from politician’s logic.
Sir Humphrey: Something must be done, this is something, therefore we must do it.
Sir Arnold: But doing the wrong thing is worse than doing nothing.
Sir Humphrey: Doing anything is worse than doing nothing
Real Life
UK Government - Exercise - 29 Aug 2012
Conservatives' health spokesman Darren Millar said more must be done to "coax people to do more and get off their sofa".
"If they [the Welsh government] are flogging a dead horse it has to change," he said.[1]
As one wag put it, "Well, yes, obviously; stop flogging it...[2]
References
- ↑ Welsh health survey: One in three take no exercise - BBC News
- ↑ Orwell Had it Sorted - Longrider blog