By Mark Maxey
In the middle 1970’s we were introduced to analytic thinking in our middle school classes. English essays assigned tested our ability to critically analyze data and write pro or con essays on a subject. The average 12-15 year old fully knew how, back in the 1970s, how to dissect information. We have lost that in the past 40 years in America. A systematic approach by fascists design to dumb down society. Which has to lead to the illogical actions and beliefs from the Trump administration and their followers. They simply, Trump and his followers, have no basis of education to academically argue themselves out of a wet paper sack.
The Toulmin’s Guide to Argumentation is used by academia around the globe to assist in helping others critically analyzing data. One method of constructing or analyzing a persuasive argument is the One method of constructing or analyzing a persuasive argument is the Toulmin model, named for its creator, British rhetorician Stephen Toulmin. The method involves breaking an argument down into six basic parts, objectively weighing and supporting points both for and against the argument., named for its creator, British rhetorician Stephen Toulmin. The method involves breaking an argument down into six basic parts, objectively weighing and supporting points both for and against the argument.
The Toulmin model breaks an argument down into six main parts:
- Claim: assertion one wishes to prove.
- Evidence: support or rationale for the claim.
- Warrant: the underlying connection between the claim and evidence, or why the evidence supports the claim.
- Backing: tells the audience why the warrant is a rational one. In scholarly essays, the warrant and backing would be the areas most supported by factual evidence to support the legitimacy of their assertion. In causal arguments, the warrant and backing are often taken for granted.
- Counterargument/ Rebuttal: addresses potential objections to the claim.
- Qualifier: additions to the claim that add nuance and specificity to its assumption, helping to counter rebuttals.
There are several layers of information that show the lack of qualitative intelligence within the Republican party fascist platform, Trump’s Administration, and the followers of Trump’s lunacy.
First and tantamount is the understanding of how “evangelical” thoughts and design helped structured the breakdown of America’s education society. Thus perpetuating a dumbing down of society. From early on, the “evangelicals” used their misguided and false faith to promulgate themselves in Washington. It all had to do with power, they wanted it, at any cost, and were willing to bastardize and twist a 2000-year-old spiritual platform for their illogical gain. Sounds like a Hollywood movie right? Unfortunately, it’s the truth. And the effect it has caused has irrecoverably destroyed the fabric of democracy in the US of A.
For most American’s we were raised in some type of spiritual faith upbringing. The whole message from the evangelical field even baffled the most well-established churches. There was a division early on. The evangelicals were very vocal about their love of this division. Now let me ask you the reader, who has been raised in faith traditions. Who exactly is the author of division? It’s not God that’s for sure.
By not calling them, the evangelicals, from day one, #WolvesInSheepsClothing, then we have allowed these lies to permeate a fog of illogical diatribe to brainwash the masses. In essence, our lack of calling out those who seek to destroy democracy is allowed to do so. We’ve got to get back to using education and reason to fight against the illogical.
I have a detailed memory when in 1980, Arrow Heights Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma held a special Sunday sermon. The sermon was brought by a member of The Fellowship, better known as The Family This speaker spent 45 min telling the congregation “WHOM” to vote for or be outside of God’s divine plan. This type of behavior was seen in evangelical churches throughout the whole Moral Majority timespan. It was not about democracy, but “whom” the “evangelicals” were to vote for.
This is not only predatory behavior, but is a cult, and has nothing to do with God but has to do with who has power over others. The evangelicals had and still have no ideals other than being in power and controlling the lives and bodies of all under its subjugation. It is beyond time we identify who the wolves are and making sure we have educated citizenship to know the difference. If we do not, the democracy we think we have, we will ultimately lose democracy.
In the documentary, The Family, by Jesse Moss, is about an enigmatic Christian group known as The Family wields enormous influence in Washington, DC, in pursuit of its global ambitions.
National Public Radio, said in their coverage, “The Family” sheds light on the deep ties between religion and politics through an intensely secretive and influential organization. The show’s director, Jesse Moss, and the author who wrote the book that first exposed the group. In the documentary, it clearly shows that even the mission of The Family was to identify the “wolves” in Washington and align themselves to manipulate the “wolves” to control the masses.
I have been to three seminary programs, and I have yet to read where Jesus’s followers or church was to use wolves to control the masses. It is the “evangelicals” that desire a one-world government with them making decisions for all inhabitants. Not very Christ-like if you ask me.
What we seem to have in our society today, globally as well, is the systematic destruction of the working class, human rights, and the ability to live in a peaceful world. All at the hands of a wayward cult that bastardizes religion and twists it’s so their followers are hoodwinked in thinking they are doing right. When in fact they are assisting in destroying lives, countries, and democracy in the world.
And to put the blame where truthfully it belongs, it is with the Republicans. They are the white nationalist terrorists that support Trump and this illogical break in our thoughts process. I know it sounds like a science fiction plot, but let me share with you some truth to this statement.
The Brainwashing of My Dad is a 2015 documentary film directed by Jen Senko about her father’s transformation from a nonpolitical Democrat into a political Republican.
As Jen Senko tries to understand the transformation of her father from a nonpolitical Democrat to an angry Republican fanatic, she uncovers the forces behind the media that changed him completely: a plan by Roger Ailes under President Richard Nixon for a media takeover by the Republicans, the 1971 Powell Memo urging business leaders to influence institutions of public opinion (especially the media, universities, and courts), the 1987 dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine under President Ronald Reagan, and the signing of the 1996 Telecommunications Act under President Bill Clinton. The documentary aims to show how the media and the nation changed, which leads to questions about who owns the airwaves, what rights listeners and watchers have, and what responsibility the government has to keep the airwaves fair, accurate, and accountable.
So let’s make sure we understand this. As early in the 1970s a Republican plot unfolded to brainwash the American public. There is no other way to explain this but just how Ms. Senko did. It is brainwashing. By manipulating media, education, and our justice system. And what has happened in the past 40 years?
We’ve lost unions, our life savings, global wealth gap as never seen before in history, pensions, our human rights, and persons of color targeted for killings. What has caused this? In the 1970’s when the Republican party gave more power and wealth to corporations and the upper 10 Percenters.
It was not the working poor who caused this, it is not the minorities, it’s not because of the unions, cause the Republicans have spent forty years stripping these folks of their rights.
How did they, the Republicans, the fascists, the evangelicals, all the same beast, do this? Through media, universities, laws, justice system, and how they control the purse strings. The working poor has no relief, no recourse, no rights.
This picture image of where we are in society today, tell me, how Christ-like is this picture? I don’t see a loving God how he would allow such blatant abuse of power. But those in power were the “evangelicals” we voted in! Or we allowed being voted in.
I am not desiring to lessen nor point the finger at true spirituality and religions, as we do have those! I am saying, how on one hand we say “Religious Republicans” have no souls, because of their actions? Why do we know really what true religion is, even refer to this bullshit as “christian”. They are #WolvesInSheepsClothing . Call them what they are.
If we use Toulmin’s model for analyzation, then the fascist rise of white nationalism globally can not be a loving God’s plan. It’s the plan of the wealthiest, the upper 10 percenters, the business owners of the huge multi-national conglomerates. I am not speaking of the mom and pop business owners. But how in the year 2019 do we have 11 major companies who own all the world’s food intake?
Have we forgot what democracy is? Does anyone know about what is in the Constitution of the United States of America? Does anyone care anymore?
What type of future do we desire for our own grandchildren? It’s time for us to take up educating our community with the truth. This is no longer a republican versus democrat sort of warning. This is a death knell for what is called democracy. You know, what President Lincoln said about what was needed to rebuild America. “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
I kinda like the thought of a government of the people, by the people and for the people. That would be a nice change.
To get there, we must bring back sound reasoning, analytic reasoning, education, and free press. When we do not immediately put a halt to wolves in sheep’s clothing, then incidents (Hispanic man says he was doused with battery acid in racist attack) like this happen all too frequently. When left to go unchecked, our moral fiber and our spiritual beliefs are sucked out of the air we breathe.
Educate, do research, call things what they are, not what they are pretending to be. For 40 years we’ve been docile. The time is crucial that we act upon our intelligence.
America faces an epic choice…
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