by
PolitiFact put out a “fact-check” this week that purports to
debunk the link between induced abortion and breast cancer. Instead, it
provides a guide on how to hoist yourself with logical fallacies—namely, the
appeal to authority (“it’s true because experts say so”) and the argumentum ad
populum (“it’s true because lots of people say so”).
They’re not shy about this, either: “PolitiFact does not do
medical or scientific analysis. We rely, as we do in other areas, on the most
reliable and independent sources available.”
Now, the problem with the appeal to authority is that it’s
an invitation to play “dueling authorities.” So I’ll do that real quick.
Drew Belsky is Live Action's communications director. He is also the deputy editor at American Thinker.
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