False Dilemma & TINA (was Herman on Hitchens)

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>Chip Berlet wrote:
>
>>How about NO to both imperialism and fascism...is that too much to ask?
>
>Evidently. These days you can't hold a complex position or you'll 
>get denounced as an apologist for fascism or an apologist for 
>imperialism. The official line - you're either for us or against us 
>- seems to prevail, though the "us" can be treated as a variable 
>rather than a constant.
>
>Doug

Since I've discussed a few logical fallacies here, I'll mention 
another one -- "false dilemma."

Examples of False Dilemma:

"America -- love it or leave it."

"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make.  Either 
you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.  (Applause.)" (at 
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html>)

To expose an instance of false dilemma, identify the options given, 
and then demonstrate, with an example, that there is an additional 
option.

Now, theoretically, that's easy.  More often than not, we can offer 
not just one but two, three, many options in theory.  In practice, 
however, we have momentous difficulties in leaving false dilemmas 
behind.  We actually have to overcome TINA (= "there is no 
alternative to capitalism") in the real world, in order to make 
political options other than imperialism and radical Islamism (which 
Chip calls clerical fascism) practically available to the masses in 
Central Asia, the Middle East, South Eastern Asia, etc.  Perhaps it's 
time to discuss _how_.
-- 
Yoshie

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