Anti-Obama Headline Proves Fallacious!

I am always looking for examples of classic rhetorical fallacies and, since the anti-Obama hype machine is at full-crazy tilt during the partial government shutdown, there is much fodder to be had. True, there are also rhetorical shenanigans going on among Obama supporters, but the hair pulling on the anti-Obama side is a much, much richer vein to tap.

Ironically, much of the hue and cry seems to be coming from the camp that routinely urges us to strip back the government. It is not uncommon now to spot a meme-o-gram laughing at the notion that the shutdown is serious (WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, WHO WOULD CLOSE THE ROADS?) followed by links to op-ed pieces arguing that "King Obama" is using the shutdown to advance nefarious schemes quite possibly in the pay of any number of international cabals. Although the effectiveness of these geriatric bugaboos is in serious question.

In any case, every president has had to face straw men put up by the opposition. Here is one instance I came across in my ramblings that seemed particularly amusing, if it wasn't that so many people believe this stuff.

Among those furloughed under the most recent budget stalemate (something we went through many times during the Reagan administration and once in a big way during the Clinton era) are civilian Catholic priests who minister to troops on military bases. In an op-ed critical of this particular aspect of the furlough plan, John Schlageter, General Counsel of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, argues that this will impede the free exercise of religion among those in uniform. He provides specifics and makes a well-reasoned, valid point (1).

Various journalistic outlets picked up on this op-ed and, one of my favorite, came up with this headline:

"Obama Orders Priests Arrested if they say Mass on Military Bases"

"Over the course of history, dictators have seen the Catholic Church as an obstacle to their power," writes Coach Kevin Collins, "It is, therefore, not surprising that King Barack is using the phony crisis, he himself has created, during this government shutdown to mount a new and perhaps the most vicious of his attacks on Catholics and their priests serving in our military.Under the cloak of the usual weekend news blackout where virtually no reports of any value are posted, King Barack has used a royal edit [sic] to command that any Catholic priest who dares say mass on a military base during the shutdown be arrested. Yes that said arrested!"

Well, yes, Collins has partially right.The Roman Catholic Church is powerful enough to be a bane or boon to those seeking power. They are an incredibly powerful organization and influence the lives of millions. Then again, the same could be said of the NRA or the AARP.

On the other hand, it is impossible for President Obama to have created the government shutdown, he can't issue royal edicts, and it is unlikely that any priests would be arrested for saying mass on base.

Collins also fails to point out is that it isn't President Obama's "edit [sic]" that forces priests and other government workers to stand down, it is the Antideficiency Act, passed in 1870 under the watchful eye of King Ulysses S. Grant (Republican and a Radical Republican at that). This means that civilian imams under government pay and ministering to US military Muslims will also be barred from their duties.

In addition, it appears that on the same day Collin's rant was published, Schlageter's well-reasoned plea had the desired affect: the house passed a resolution urging the military not to cancel religious services during the government shutdown.

I don't care what side you happen to take, please just don't fall for this nonsense.

(1) I need to be clear at this juncture. Schlageter's argument is valid based on law and precedent regarding the free exercise of religion of in the United States. Whether or not it is wise and fiscally responsible to set up and pay a specialized field of intercessors between troops and the executive branch of their particular brand of supernatural belief is an entirely different matter.