Further, other veterans who served honorably include Timothy McVeigh, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Ted Kennedy. Need I say more?

Finally, I almost never use and almost always reject arguing from authority. It’s almost always a shortcut for laziness — “I’m an expert, so I don’t have to prove what I have to say.” I’ve done it exactly once here, and only then because it was absolutely germane to the discussion.

I must have missed that. Refresh me.

it reduces the argument from the merits of the topic to the merits of the arguer.

It seems obvious that one should always factor in the expertise of the person advocating a position. If Paul Krugman says something about economics, his Nobel Prize confers a lot of authority. It doesn’t make him right, but it sure increases the odds that he is.

If I were a quadruple amputee, with three Medals of Honor, seventeen Purple Hearts, Silver Stars and Bronze Stars up the wazoo, and a service record that covered every war and conflict from the Spanish-American War to the Iraq War, would that change a single thing about my arguments?

If, on the other hand, you were a strawman, attempting to speak with authority through fictional heroism, would THAT? How OLD are you? Do not ever take up the practice of law. You don’t do “coherent argument” very well.

It just gives assholes like you an excuse to personalize the argument.

Let me remind you that even though I am an “asshole” in your opinion, you have already conceded that as an Army veteran (E-5) I am “classier” than a warmongering coward like yourself. So where on the social scale does that leave you?

You find it easier to attack the arguer, to shut them up, than to refute what they have to say. It’s laziness wrapped in dishonesty, garnished with a dash of scumbaggery.

The incisive logic of this statement, devoid of personal attack and focused like a laser beam on the logic and merits of your case…

Wait.

Now who also fits in that category? How about our own Barack Obama?

By libtard logic we now have us a chickenhawk president.

The Teleprompter-in-Chief seems perfectly willing to not only support more troops in Afghanistan, but to actually order them there, despite having never spent a single day in uniform.

And yes, ed and Jaim, I did serve (USAF, 1982-1986). How about yourselves? Douchebags.

An interesting theory. I think you’re reading far too much into that one instance, but it’s interesting. I’m no jock, but I don’t think missing a single basket is much of a “risk,” though. I’d read it more as a “he’s kind of like us” moment than a “he’s willing to look bad” gesture.

Re your second comment:

Utterly pointless. Petty bullshit. The “yellow elephant”/”chickenhawk” argument has been utterly destroyed repeatedly.

Here’s one point: it reduces the argument from the merits of the topic to the merits of the arguer. Whether or not we should have invaded Iraq does NOT depend on who makes the argument. Reality is NOT that subjective.

If I were a quadruple amputee, with three Medals of Honor, seventeen Purple Hearts, Silver Stars and Bronze Stars up the wazoo, and a service record that covered every war and conflict from the Spanish-American War to the Iraq War, would that change a single thing about my arguments?

No, it wouldn’t. The whole “yellow elephant”/”chickenhawk” argument is chickenshit. It just gives assholes like you an excuse to personalize the argument. You find it easier to attack the arguer, to shut them up, than to refute what they have to say. It’s laziness wrapped in dishonesty, garnished with a dash of scumbaggery.

J.

Thanks for pointing out that I am “classier” than you are!

The only Americans who should be compelled to serve are those who thought that invading Iraq was a good idea — for someone else to accomplish. Everyone else is off the hook.

Those far past military age, or infirm, should give some of their time helping the returning wounded. If they advocated *elective* war, they need to share in it.

Even though neither of my parents served in the military during WW II, they gave up their jobs and built Liberty Ships, because everyone shared the sacrifice. In modern America, we (I mean YOU, JT) ask others to sacrifice and not to disturb us with news from the front.

The odds were against his making the shot. Even a good basketball player hits no better than 50% from that range. By attempting it he risked failure in public, something Bush and most other politicians would never permit themselves to do. It’s a subtle but important difference, and one reason why Bush comes across as a phony and Obama doesn’t. Bush would not allow an uncontrolled outcome.

Too bad you can’t look past your knee-jerk, instinctive need to contradict and insult me and actually address the points…

J.

That’s my point. Oh, and that you’re a chickenhawk. That too.

(That could take a while…)

J.

Says the chickenhawk who’s never served.

The lesson to be learned: our troops are NOT representative of average Americans.

They are representative of the best of us, and are far, far classier than most of us.

Sometimes, I think we don’t deserve them and their service.

J.

Notice how Obama doesn’t need a plastic turkey to make people like him.

Oliver Willis: “Well, there’s always the slight possibility I could suffer a massive brain injury in the next 11 years. Then it would happen.”

Or the Republicans could return to the party of Lincoln. Support equality and tolerance. Understand government has a role in shaping society. Understand that businesses run without restrictions inevitably become corrupt and work only for those at the top. Understand that the separation of church and state is there to protect both the church and the state.

Of course at this rate the massive head injury is more likely.

IT’S CLEAR AS DAY!!!!!

John Kerry certainly told the troops that Bush was uneducated, and you were kind enough to supply the quote, but I don’t understand how that affects how they feel about Obama. Or does John Kerry tell you things he doesn’t say in public?

Or if Jessica Alba asks you to. =)