Question: Please respond with 200 words and 1 direct question
Identify forms of faulty evidence and reasoning (as well as dismissive communication) in a public argument about an ethical issue. Draw from talk shows, newspaper editorials, speeches, interviews, debates, congressional hearings, and other sources. Possible topics might include national healthcare, Bin Laden''s death, stem cell research, illegal immigration, and reducing the national debt. Respond to at least 2 of your peer''s responses.
It took me a while to decide which way, or subject to take on for this week's forum, then it occurred to me; Obama and Afghanistan. To begin with a simple definition of 'faulty' per the Oxford Dictionaries is "1. Working badly or unreliably because of imperfections, 1.1 (Of reasoning and other mental processes) mistaken or misleading because of flaws: faulty logic, 1.2 Having or displaying weaknesses" (2015). During Obama's first presidential campaign and his second, both times he told the American people that he would get us out of Afghanistan. That has not happened. In fact, in December of 2009, President Obama said "And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan" (Foreign Policy Bulletin, 2010).
Jump ahead to more current times, this past December "US defense secretary Chuck Hagel announced that the US would keep 10,800 soldiers through 2015 amid increased attacks from the Taliban, 1,000 more than previously planned" (The Middle East Journal, 2015). So to bring it all back on topic, the faulty evidence and reasoning that President Obama displayed, from day one in office, was that he was committed to bring our service members home from Afghanistan. This did not happen. In fact, he actually increased the numbers serving there and as recently as the past year committed to keeping them there through 2015.
So one must ask oneself, is this an ethical issue? Were we lied to by our president? What is his reasoning and evidence for doing this? Was he mistaken or misleading because of flaws or displaying weakness? Of course these are all topics that can be addressed in a much larger format and I am aware people will stand on both sides of the debate based on their political beliefs. However, I can tell you that as an active duty service member who was on the ground in Afghanistan in early 2002 shortly after we arrived; it is not a fun place nor is it a good place to be.
References
Chronology: Afghanistan. (2015). The Middle East Journal, 69(2), 281-283. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1675910405?accountid=8289
Faulty. (2015). In Oxford Dictionaries online. Retrieved from https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/faulty
Obama to increase troops in afghanistan by 30,000. (2010). Foreign Policy Bulletin, 20(1), 10-37. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1052703610000043