Strawman

Former Member

I have seen this a few times on the P+D board.

What is it exactly? Anyone help me out?

Former Member

I think it's pretty much the same as saying "You're arguement is shit, you're grasping at straws"

Meh.

Former Member

my understanding is that it's like a figurehead that's just for show, to cover up something more sinister perhaps, for instance you might say george bush is a strawman.......

Former Member

in all my time on the board i've never once came across that expression....

Former Member

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawman

Former Member

that website has info on everything in it...

Former Member

lol don't tell me you've never come across wikipedia before now turlough.....?

Former Member

lol no i have i'm just saying like it's just amazing, within a few clicks you can get talking from peasants in 18th century france to the history of the oscars...just shows everything in life is connected

Former Member

Yeah I know about Wiki, I was just wondering if there was a specific use within politics, y'know like there are different terms for things in law and so on.

Former Member

klintock wrote:

Yeah I know about Wiki, I was just wondering if there was a specific use within politics, y'know like there are different terms for things in law and so on.

doesn't sound too technical though does it?

Former Member

Well, there are 18 different definitions of "is" in the OED so you never know....

Former Member

klintock wrote:

Well, there are 18 different definitions of "is" in the OED so you never know....

issit?

Former Member

I use it to refer to the Man of Straw - NuLabour's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw.

Former Member

I thought everone knew what a 'straw man' was (though I tended to keep saying 'straw dog' as little as weeks ago, confusing it with the Dustin Hoffman film perhaps. Now I've finally seen that film, I don't do that anymore).

It'a a falacious argument that is presented on 'behalf' of one by an opponent in order to be 'knocked down'. Take yesterday's 'Question Time', where a woman claimed that Eddie Izzard performed the 'Freudian slip' of saying he didn't like the European constitution, when he actually said no more than that he had 'a problem' with it. Misrepresenting your opponent's argument/s to mislead an audience/electorate is the essence of a 'straw man'.

Former Member

When someone attacks your argument, not using what you actually said, but something else entirely (often what they think you've said).

Former Member

Now I got it.

Thanks all. :thumb:

Former Member

there are no countries.
there are no technacalities.
there are no immigrants.
there is no thesite.org.
there is only klintok.

Former Member

morrocan roll wrote:

there is only klintok.

and his PC (which is not real btw)