Next, He'll Give New Orleans a Tax Break
Figure: Heterogenium (het er oh GEE nee um), the figure of distraction.
Heterogenium is Greek for "different kind." It's a way to change the subject, distracting the audience from the main issue by, say, blaming the victim. Did looters slash the budget for fixing the dikes? Are they the reason federal help was so late in coming?
And what does "zero tolerance" mean? That a young mother grabbing formula from a wrecked store should be treated the same as a gun nut shooting at helicopters?
Snappy Answer: "There should be zero tolerance for politicians who call for 'zero tolerance'."
Reader Comments (4)
How can you fix them? They weren't broken. It's like saying you should've fixed your ford fiesta's engine after you blew it up driving 150 MPH. If you didn't push it outside its limits, it wouldn't have failed.
The fallacy with YOUR comment is that it presumes that New Orleans should have CHOSEN not to have a hurricane if it didnt want pesky dike problems.
Or rather, the more apt automotive comparison is failing to replace the timing chain. Preventive maintenance was neglected.