How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic (2006)

130 How to Win Every Argument

Your own ad populums will come naturally, since you are
basically in support of the little man, the underdog, the local
boy. The people against you are the big bosses, the money-men
of the financial district and the bureaucrats on their index-linked
pensions. 'Rich bankers' has lost its effect these days; most
people equate it with their local bank manager who is not all that
rich. Remember to use code-words where people feel the pre-
judice is not respectable. Racial minorities, for example, should
be referred to as 'newcomers' or 'strangers', even when they
have been here longer than you have.

If we allow the corner shop to close, it will mean hard-earned money

going out of the community to rich businessmen in flash cars. The corner

shop is part of our locality; it's a friendly presence in the neighbourhood;

it's the focal point of the community we grew up in.

(People will do anything for it, except shop there.)

Positive conclusion from negative premise

An argument which draws a conclusion from two premises is not
allowed to have two negative premises, but it is allowed one,
provided the conclusion is also negative. A fallacy is committed
whenever a positive conclusion follows from two premises which
include a negative one.

Some cats are not stupid, and all cats are animals, so some animals are

stupid.

(Even though some of them are smart enough not to be cats, the

conclusion does not follow. One premise is negative, so any valid

conclusion would also have to be so.)

Although two things can be related to each other by means of
the relationship which each has with a third, if one of the