The Straw Men: Book 1 (The Straw Men Trilogy)

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The purpose of the debate was to help discover the strongest candidate for the party. A fair evaluation of Biden’s credentials would have included a range of factors. By focusing on only one incident, Harris was misrepresenting Biden’s record. Essentially, the person using the straw man argument pretends to argue against their opponent’s original position, while in reality they have created a distorted version of that position—one that their opponent doesn’t necessarily support and that is easy to rebuke. Focus on grammar, syntax, style, tone and the conventions of the field. The editor also considers the internal logic of the text and flags any obvious contradictions. Downes, Stephen. "The Logical Fallacies". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 . Retrieved 25 February 2016. Marshall’s descriptions of people and places are memorable and evocative and he has produced and absorbing mystery with a chilling denouement’ Sunday Telegraph

So who or what is/are the Straw Men? Do they really exist or are they a relic of the past? Where are they? What are they planning, if anything? Or are they just that, straw men, things/people/an organization which doesn't exist? Michael Marshall Smith knows something about movies, having worked as a scriptwriter, and it shows in his first commercial thriller, written after the success of his science-fiction books ‘Only Forward’ and ‘Spares’. You can see this in the use of multiple point-of-view narration, the way he constructs his scenes, in particular the prologue of a mass shooting inside a fast food restaurant that seems a takeout from a Quentin Tarrantino movie. Here are a few more straw man argument examples. Keep in mind that straw man arguments often arise as reactions to others’ statements. On the Promenade of Santa Monica, California, a teenage girl gives sightseeing tips to a distinguished English tourist. She won't be going home tonight. Asking your opponent to elaborate on their claim: Depending on the claim, ask them where they got their data or how they came to that conclusion based on what you’ve said and done.This is a three-book series, but I've gone far enough with The Straw Men, and I still recommend it as a suspense/thriller. Demir, Yeliz (2018). "Derailment of strategic maneuvering in a multi-participant TV debate: The fallacy of ignoratio elenchi". Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi. 15 (1): 25-58. All these seemingly unrelated events are put forward (each of which are interesting on their own) running parallel leaving the reader to wonder how the hell such unrelatable events will collide.. The way they do is pretty stupid and doesn't really seem thought out.

The Straw Men don't exist - or do they? If so, how are they connected to mass killings, occasional abductions and the parents of sort-of loner Ward Hopkins? And what if anything do they have to do with the abduction of a fourteen-year old girl on the West Coast?

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But apart from his girlfriend Nina, a discredited FBI agent, the only other person who believes the Straw Men exist is John Zandt, a former homicide cop turned lone vigilante. Notorious serial killer the Upright Man has escaped from prison, and the FBI have no idea where to look for him. His brother, Ward Hopkins, suspects he may have been aided by the Straw Men, the shadowy organization founded on murder as a way of life that killed Ward's parents. So once again we’re in limbo, waiting to find out what government a few men in a room will decide to give us. Do you imagine they’ll be spending their time in there asking what’s best for Aotearoa? No, me either.

Correlation/causation fallacy: Claiming that two events that occur together have a cause-and-effect relationship even though this can’t be proven Michael Marshall writes horror under this name, but is also known for his science fiction, which he writes under Michael Marshall Smith. Perhaps he was inspired by Iain (M.) Banks, who likewise changes names depending on the genre. Presenting someone who defends a position poorly as the defender, then denying that person's arguments—thus giving the appearance that every upholder of that position (and thus the position itself) has been defeated. [2] I submit to you that if you can't take this evidence and find these defendants guilty on this evidence then we might as well open all the banks and say, "Come on and get the money, boys," because we'll never be able to convict them. Douglas Walton (2013). Methods of Argumentation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-43519-3.Slippery slope arguments take advantage of the gray area between an initial action or decision and the possible next steps that might lead to the undesirable outcome. You can point out these missing steps and ask your partner to indicate what evidence exists to support the claimed relationship between two or more events. position, B argues against a caricature of A’s argument. Straw man fallacies occur when a person misrepresents their opponent’s Mom: “I want you to leave your phone on the kitchen counter at night so you can get a better night’s sleep.”

Counterargument: This is a straw man fallacy because it inaccurately portrays the claims of evolutionary theory and argues There are a number of ways you can deal with slippery slope arguments especially when you suspect these are fallacious: A straw man argument is constructed by presenting an opposing position as a warped, extreme version of itself. There are a few different ways an individual might turn a reasonable argument into a straw man: Luther, Martin (1520). "De captivitate ecclesiae babylonica" (online text based on Weimar Edition, vol. 6, p. 497). martinluther.dk. Ricardt Riis. p.section 15.Some weeks ago I read The Straw Men by Michael Marshall the first part of a trilogy by an author who has never received the acclaim and recognition that he so richly deserves. I thought The Straw Men was an excellent read and was doubtful if the style, character development, and story could be bettered in a sequel. I need not have worried, The Lonely Dead has exceeded all my expectations, it is quite simply a stunning novel told by an expert author. Person 1: I think we should mute debaters’ microphones when it’s their opponents’ turns to speak so they can’t interrupt each other. The base-rate fallacy: Ignoring base-rate or statistically significant information, such as sample size or the relative frequency of an event, in favor of less relevant information e.g., pertaining to a single case, or a small number of cases A straw man argument is a form of logical fallacy or reasoning error. Fallacies are statements or arguments that might sound reasonable or true but are actually flawed and therefore can be deceptive.