Word: argumentative
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...undeniable fact that our society makes qualitative judgments based on material possessions. Some years ago, several teenagers committed murder to get hold of Nike Jordan sneakers, just like many have been killed in iPod-related assaults. This is not even about Professor John K. Galbraith’s argument on advertisements creating mirages of brand loyalty, but about our social motto of “you are what you own.” Food obsessions and brand deification are instances of the same materialist problem...
...first heard about Mahtani’s comment from several members of the Harvard College Democrats. They felt that Dewey had been wronged and that the Dems should rally to his side. The argument, as I understand it, is that even if Dewey’s beliefs are wrong, he shouldn’t be attacked for them. Like every other member of the Harvard community, Dewey should be able to express unpopular beliefs without being yelled at from the pages of The Crimson. Civility must prevail...
...This argument has some surface validity. People from all political persuasions should be entitled to respect. If Mahtani had made disparaging remarks about Dewey’s mother, I would be the first to object. But Mahtani has been criticized for doing exactly what should be done in an environment of free and open debate. Though his criticism was harsh, it was focused on the idiocy of Dewey’s beliefs, not the integrity of his character. If civility demands that we politely stand complacent while public figures on this campus openly trash a movement for equal rights, then...
...don’t intend to defend every part of Mahtani’s argument. I’m not sure that Dewey is really as inane as his comments—as captured by Mahtani—made him seem. In the past, I thought of Dewey as more of a moderate thinker than many others from his side of the aisle. But that’s not the point. Those who were scandalized by Mahtani’s bluntness need to take a look at their own arguments and ask themselves why, exactly, they were so shocked...
...most common argument I’ve heard against Mahtani’s comment simply doesn’t hold water. Everybody I’ve talked to agrees: Mahtani may be right, but he should have stuck to critiquing Dewey’s ideas rather than resorting to ad hominem attacks. But they have it wrong; Mahtani’s criticism wasn’t an ad hominem attack. It was based entirely on beliefs that Dewey has publicly advocated. Mahtani just pointed out that Dewey’s public comments are radical, misguided and a bit nuts. This...