It is worthwhile to look into smelly hyperlinks left on the blogosphere's doorstep because most of the time there is going to be information that goes against the point of linking it in the first place or they just failed to deduce the information with logic. For instance, the false dichotomy - one of the most basic logical fallacies learned in critical thinking.
On one of my cross posts to the Tallahassee Democrat I was left a link beneath the following comment (it's noticeable that most of the comments are not related to the post itself, which consists solely of Gallup Poll graphs):
"...a socialist teacher abusing tax payer money go figure!"
It is worthwhile to look into smelly hyperlinks left on the blogosphere's doorstep because most of the time there is going to be information that goes against the point of linking it in the first place or they just failed to deduce the information with logic. For instance, the false dichotomy - one of the most basic logical fallacies learned in critical thinking.
The article was about the Oregon middle school teacher who is being investigated for using school hours for an anti-tea party website that encouraged others to attend their rallies in order to discredit the movement. He would do so by holding racist signs, wearing Hitler costumes and acting as irrational as possible to "embarrass" the party; a party already notorious for racist and irrational behavior. Levin said in an interview with Talking Points Memo,
"Our goal is that whenever a Tea Partier says 'Barack Obama was not born in America,' we're going be right there next to them saying, 'Yeah, in fact he wasn't born on Earth! He's an alien!'"
Some would hold both claims as equally outrageous. Now this teacher is being described as a comrade to socialism. In this conclusion, as defined by supporters of the tea party, anyone who is against their movement is a socialist. I guess I am socialist also for thinking that joining the tea party or being a socialist aren't the only two options. Or just thinking, period.
Additionally no post was inclined to focus on the fact that the investigation was launched only after the discovery of the website and that any possible evidence against Levin's misuse of school property are yet to be discovered.