Word: argumentive
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Leaders of the three parties opposing the bill raised the concern that women would not vote independently, instead serving as proxies for male family members. This argument seems both condescending and misplaced: First, it implies that all elected women will become unaware pawns susceptible to coercion from close family members; second, it doesn’t take into account the possibility—and hope—that elected women will ultimately cast their own votes, no matter the outside forces attempting to sway their decisions...
...That argument begins to break down when you have aspirations to help fix the world. Over the past decade or so, many Europeans have liked to think of the E.U. as a counterweight to Washington and now Beijing: a big, rich, but more benign global power. Ask Catherine Ashton to define Europe's ideals, and her aspirations are far from modest: "Democracy. Human rights," she says. "Wanting to see stable, secure nations, with whom we enjoy political dialogue and economic relationships...
...favorite moment in Barack Obama's recent health care summit came when Senate majority leader Harry Reid surgically exposed the emptiness of a key Republican debating point, using the classic political tactic of jujitsu: he allowed the force of the opposition's argument to carry it into the abyss. Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, an obstetrician, had delivered a passionate - and seemingly well-informed - statement about the need for medical-malpractice reform. "O.K., Senator, you win," Reid responded. "Look, we Democrats don't see malpractice the same way you do. Our traditional supporters among the trial lawyers hate...
...contrary to the conventional wisdom - it will work to the Democrats' advantage. Next fall, their candidates will be able to say, "Because of us, no one can ever take away your health insurance. My Republican opponent voted against that." That is, if they have the brains to make the argument...
...advocacy documentary in its present form is fundamentally bad for the presentation of important information. One cannot navigate it as easily as one can navigate text, and this is critical if one is to have a deep understanding of an argument and be able to quickly access facts. If anyone has an understanding of contemporary advocacy documentaries, however manipulative they are, it’s Michael Moore—the facts he uses in his films aren’t meant to be verified or to support an argument, but rather to endow his movies with an air of verisimilitude?...