First Post
The dispute in the first analogy is the reluctance of the former president Barrack to indulge in a nuclear war with a country that is a part of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT refers to the landmark and international treaty that is purposed towards the prevention of spreading of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. In essence, the end game of the NPT is to achieve general nuclear disarmament. The rationale for Obama’s decision and action is based on his perspective and belief that there is no existence of radical extremism. Obama refused to engage in a nuclear war in retaliation to an attack on America regardless of its form. On the other hand, drawing from the video, Palin insists that the only way to ensure national defense and security is to retaliate in the case of an attack and maintain nuclear armament.
In the second video regarding Obama’s response to Palin, he appeals to authority by first asserting that Palin is no expert in nuclear matters and that he would trust the Senate and only consider heeding advice from the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff regarding his position (FreedomsLighthouse, 2010). In essence, the argument between Obama and Palin became personal and one which targeted thwarting the other’s arguments. However, rather than Obama asserting his authority on the issue, he puts his trust in the Senate and their ability to see that the limitation in nuclear armament is in the best interest of the nation’s security.
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In the third video, Palin cynically counter-argues Obama’s nuclear policy by mocking his campaign dictum ‘Yes We Can’ and further asserting that with all his accomplishments and expertise regarding nuclear policies in different positions as a leader, he has made no progress in bettering the US relationship with North Korea and Iran (Associated Press, 2010). She further counter-argues that the Obama administration has alienated allies to the US such as Afghanistan and Israel thereby creating more enemies.
Second Post
The argument from analogy, especially the one advanced by Palin is fallacious because invoking nuclear might over an attack by a member country of the NPT is in itself a violation of the treaty to which the US is affiliated with. In this regard, Palin is engaging in not only hasty generalization fallacy when she says that no American administration could take the position that Obama did but also ad hominem fallacy when she terms Obama’s position regarding the limited use of nuclear weapons as unbelievable.
From the second video, Obama’s argument is strong asserting that Palin has no expertise in nuclear issues. In mentioning the Senate, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Obama was, in essence, demonstrating that there are institutions and experts regarding the issue who have more experience than him or Palin in the nuclear matters. As such, if these parties deemed nuclear restrictions fundamental to US security, then they would implement them. Nonetheless, Obama also showed appeal to authority fallacy by mentioning the above parties. Moreover, it is unreasonable for Obama to push for restricted nuclear use while some countries not allied to the US such as North Korea are pursuing nuclear technology, which would leave the US vulnerable to nuclear attacks, especially from countries not affiliated with the NPT.
In the third video, Palin’s counter-argument is fallacious because factors long before the Obama administration have underpinned some of the worsened relationships between the US and countries such as Iran or Afghanistan. As such, Palin not only engages in ad hominem fallacy by mocking and ironically attacking Obama through his slogan but also equivocation fallacy and red herring fallacy. Red herring is depicted when Palin attacks Obama and his administration by citing relationships with other countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan rather than addressing Obama’s nuclear policy and how it affects the nation’s security and defense.
References
Associated Press. (2010). Palin Mocks Obama's Nuclear Policy. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eR9obOnDHc&feature=youtu.be
FreedomsLighthouse. (2010). Obama Dismisses Palin on Nuclear Strategy: "Sarah Palin's No Expert on Nuclear Issues." YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_zSBtx76B8&feature=youtu.be
