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From: cipher@mmm.UUCP (Andre Guirard)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.sci,net.religion,net.philosophy
Subject: Needless
Message-ID: <1023@mmm.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Jul-86 09:45:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: mmm.1023
Posted: Thu Jul 17 09:45:12 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jul-86 01:30:19 EDT
Reply-To: cipher@mmm.UUCP (Andre Guirard)
Organization: 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.
Lines: 27
Xref: watmath net.misc:9908 net.sci:1287 net.religion:10592 net.philosophy:6268
Summary: If it's "needless to say," why say it?


Frequently, in "debate-type" postings, I see these phrases, and
variations on them:

	Needless to say...
	Of course...
	As everybody knows...
	As any fool knows...	   (my personal favorite)
	Naturally...
	Obviously...

These phrases are usually followed by a preposturous lie.  These
phrases mean _nothing_ (after all, if it's really obvious why say it at
all?).  They are used primarily to keep people from challenging the
statement that follows, by implying that anyone who doesn't agree is
stupid or unreasonable.

I encourage everybody to keep an eye out for these and similar phrases.
What follows is the weak point of the poster's argument, in case you
want to refute it.
-- 

(___)						Andre Guirard
|_ _|						La Diablo kiu Strabas
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