1.
Extreme
or absolute phrasing. (Words like always and never
which allow
for no exceptions.)
2.
Characterizations.
Adjectives that attribute merit or adjectives that demean without
factual
support. (Outstanding authority John Smith". Discredited
activist judge Jim Jones ")
3.
Citation
of anonymous authority. (A nationally famous physician states ")
4.
Absence
of contrary information. (Writer withholds or fails to discuss
dissenting opinion and
conflicting data.)
5.
Ad-hominem
arguments that appeal to emotion rather than reason.
6.
Ad-hominem
phrasing that attacks the character of an individual.
7.
Innuendo,
insinuation an indirect statement that implies something without
actually
asserting it.
8.
Metaphors
and similes that grossly oversimplify, usually diverting attention from
the inconvenient
complexity of reality. (A great way to finesse flawed logic.)
9.
Denial.
The refusal to even consider well known conflicting information,
dismissing it
or ignoring it.
10.
Sophism. Clever or
fallacious argument that leads to a wrong conclusion. Sophism can look
like a
rational, reasonable argument, but usually ignores some facts and
embellishes
others to make a case. Connecting some of the dots, omitting others, to
show a
false pattern. Patternicity that imagines or creates meaning from
noise.
11.
Misapplied authority
Seeking to attribute authority to the opinion of someone whose
expertise does
not extend to the topic. (Medical opinions of a Disk Jockey)
12.
Fear mongering.
13.
Hate.
14.
Sensational assertions.
15.
Too good or too bad to
be true.
16.
Arguments that assert a
conspiracy that would be hard to conceal -- one that would require the
silent
complicity of a large number of diverse people. (In real life, leaks
happen, whistle-blowers surface, etc.)
17.
Writing that sounds
like a sales pitch. (one sided and persuasively phrased.
Infomercial-speak.)
18.
You infer a hidden
motive or agenda. (Political mud slinging.)
19.
Absence of obvious
questions that an objective author would raise and answer.
20.
Absence of independent
sources and externally verifiable fact patterns. No references.
21.
Use of a false name or
handle to obscure author's identity and avoid accountability.
22. Extrapolation of a peripheral
issue to discredit or embellish a core issue. (The sexual behavior of a
judge or authority as evidence to question his competence in law.)
23. Anecdotes as evidence of a
generalized truth. ("My cousin got the flu after he was vaccinated.")
