[net.politics.theory] Sevener's Complaint

mck@ratex.UUCP (Daniel Kian Mc Kiernan) (05/02/85)

Sevener tells us:
>I would appreciate it if you would stop labelling every critique of
>laissex-faire Libertarian ideology as a "strawman argument".

I DON'T label every argument against Libertarian ideology as a 'straw man
argument'; for example, I did not label your comments on corporate income
tax a 'straw man'.  So your claim that I label every argument against
Libertarian ideology a 'straw man' is itself a straw man.
More importantly, I never SIMPLY label any argument a 'straw man'.  I
indicate the difference between what a side is SAID to believe and/or claim,
and what that side actually DOES believe or claim.  Often it is possible to
indicate that the allegations come from someone who knows better than to make
his straw man; for example, in the posting that prompted your above comment,
I summarized the history of an argument which has gone back-and-forth between
us since I started posting.
The reason that I so FREQUENTLY label your arguments as 'straw-men', is that
you so FREQUENTLY use straw-men arguments.  I too would like to stop
labelling your arguments 'straw-men', but I believe that the proper way to
bring this about is for you to stop using straw-men.

                               Back later,
                               DKMcK