Capaldi and Smith, The Art of Deception
"Refutation of Authority", p 122
2 ways to refute: ad hominem attack or provide counter-authorities
6 types of ad hominem:
1. show the speaker as inconsistent
2. expose the speakers group where he aligned himself
3. discrepancies between theory and practice, as stated by the speaker
4. expose extreme abstractions as out of touch with reality
5. general attack against the expert concerning his expertise
6. your own experts. Any expert that disagrees with the speaker, even if they are not in line with your own
This discussion is quite instructive about the use of creative fallacy. These things are generally hostile towards a real argument, but rather undermine the message, any message, coming from an opponent.
It doesn't take much time to see this as a universal condition in the public discourse today. Take any public official.
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