Season 3 Podcast 166 Road to Power, Machiavellian Pragmatism, Rule 3 17, Argumentum ad Baculum
Argumentum ad Baculum
Argumentum ad baculum, the Latin form, is a logical fallacy better known as appeal to the stick or appeal to fear or appeal to force. Slander and character assassination are forms of argumentum ad baculum. Any form of threat, coercion, pressure, constraint, duress, oppression, menace, abuse, jeopardy, or badgering as a form of persuasion is a form of argumentum ad baculum. It is entirely unrelated to fairness, justice, fair play, honesty, integrity, or truth.
As with all other Machiavellian rules, none consider morality, right and wrong, just and unjust, good and evil, fair and unfair, truth or lies, moral and immoral. They are all dominated by the central rule that the ends justify the means. Rule # 17 of Machiavellian Pragmatism encourages one to attack the individual’s character if necessary to achieve the desired end. rather than the issue at hand. In a practical sense, Machiavelli urges that you keep an undesirable person from a particular position.
Machiavelli said,
“If he could not have made Pope him whom he wished, at least the one whom he did not wish would not have been elected.” (Nicolo Machiavelli, The Prince)
To update that to our time as related to the Judge Kavanaugh hearing, it would be,
Only appoint judges to the Supreme Court or other high positions who support your views. Use any means to prevent anyone from being appointed to positions of authority who do not agree with your opinions.
The entire nation witnessed a scurrilous example of argumentum ad baculum in the Senate hearing of the appointment of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. It was not an interview for a high office. It was a vicious, unprecedented attack on his character without proof, without evidence, without witnesses except the accusers. His outstanding credentials, his impeccable defense, and the numberless attestations to his high moral character meant nothing to the left. It was a Salem witch trial in which the witch was already convicted. One hundred percent of the democratic senators assumed his guilt and praised the brave witness who came forth to testify against him. She mysteriously came forth as a witness after all other attempts to discredit Judge Kavanaugh had failed.
It was on record that the democratic senator’s purpose was to destroy Kavanaugh’s chances for the Supreme Court at any cost.
First, we learned that there was an organized effort to disrupt the meeting. Senator Tillis revealed,
4 LINDA
Senator TILLIS. Mr. Chairman, I am confused because I heard earlier that this was a reaction to the document releases last night. But I am reviewing a tweet from NBC that said ‘‘Democrats plotted coordinated protest strategy over the holiday weekend. All agreed to disrupt and protest the hearing, sources tell me, and subsequent Dem Leader, Chuck Schumer, led a phone call and Committee Members are executing now.’’
The accusation was denied, yet the evidence proves to the contrary. Let me quote a small portion of an early attempt to sabotage the proceedings.,
Chairman GRASSLEY. I know this is an exciting day for all of you here——
Senator BLUMENTHAL. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman GRASSLEY [continuing]. And you are rightly proud of Judge——
Senator BLUMENTHAL. Mr. Chairman, if we cannot be recognized, I move to adjourn.
Chairman GRASSLEY. The American people——
Senator BLUMENTHAL. Mr. Chairman, I move to adjourn. [Disturbance in the hearing room.]
Chairman GRASSLEY [continuing]. Will hear directly from Judge
Kavanaugh later this afternoon.
Senator BLUMENTHAL. Mr. Chairman, I move to adjourn.
This went on and on and on. The obvious attempt was to stop the nomination so that it would be postponed until a change of administration could appoint a new Judge.
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