Argumentum ad nauseam

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(Examples)
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*Obama has not made his birth certificate available.
 
*Obama has not made his birth certificate available.
 
*"Yes we can".
 
*"Yes we can".
 +
*The stimulus bill will save or create 4 million jobs.
 
*The science of global warming is still unclear.
 
*The science of global warming is still unclear.
 
*Our Founding Fathers wanted a Christian nation.
 
*Our Founding Fathers wanted a Christian nation.

Revision as of 03:09, 22 December 2009

Argumentum ad nauseam is the logical fallacy that something becomes true if it is repeated often enough.

Due to the modern 24 hour cable news cycle and the fact every idiot has a blog, Argumentum ad nauseam is becoming particularly prevalent. In politics it is usually used in the form of a talking point, which is then reduced to a three second sound bite and is repeated at every available opportunity. On the blogosphere it takes the form of a meme, where every like minded blogger repeats a statement used by a fellow blogger. Twitter, where every message has to be less than 140 characters, has only made this latter form of viral propaganda worse.

Contents

Examples

  • Evolution is just a theory.
  • The creation-evolution debate is a debate about worldviews.
  • Obamacare will install death panels and kill your grandmother.
  • Obama has not made his birth certificate available.
  • "Yes we can".
  • The stimulus bill will save or create 4 million jobs.
  • The science of global warming is still unclear.
  • Our Founding Fathers wanted a Christian nation.

Parodies

"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.

"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true."

—Lewis Carroll, The Hunting Of The Snark

See also

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