Unfair statements
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| ComputerBob Oct 03, 2010 10:20 AM EDT |
Quoting:In America people are always buying things they don't really need. That fifteenth pair of shoes, a third car, a second house... Well you get the idea. I guess it should really be no surprise then that people in America are also over paying for computer hardware and software they do not need, nor will they ever come close to fully utilizing.I'm an American, but I don't do any of those things -- nor does anyone I know. I think maybe you've watched too many episodes of the Kardashians. Sweeping generalizations may be one of the easiest ways to begin an article, and using them to set up a straw man that the rest of the article can then knock down may help generate controversy and attract a lot of attention, but to me, they're a sign of a lazy writer. |
| caitlyn Oct 03, 2010 11:41 AM EDT |
There are much more effective ways of saying what the author wanted to say. Basically calling all of American society wasteful is likely to be seen as insulting. |
| helios Oct 03, 2010 12:18 PM EDT |
I think maybe you've watched too many episodes of the Kardashians. Why would anyone watch a series about a sweater? That's just silly. h |
| Jeff91 Oct 03, 2010 1:33 PM EDT |
*rolls eyes* For those who can not take a statement with a grain of salt I have added a convenient grey word to the first sentence "In America MANY people are always buying things". I think my point is still valid, many people can be VERY wasteful. ~Jeff Hoogland |
| ComputerBob Oct 03, 2010 3:01 PM EDT |
Quoting:*rolls eyes* @Jeff91 - If you want your readers to believe your explanation that you hadn't intended to insult them, don't start your explanation by rolling your eyes at them. And if you feel the need to start your article with an unsupported, stereotypical, sweeping generalization, why not state that many people all over the world -- not just Americans -- can be very wasteful? But even with taking your "grain of salt," I suspect that, especially in the current economy, anyone who's as incredibly wasteful as you describe is also incredibly rich and incredibly stupid. And not likely to be someone who reads your article. I agree with caitlyn - with just a little more thought, you could have made your point without insulting an entire country's population. And then made it worse by rolling your eyes at those of us who noticed. |
| azerthoth Oct 03, 2010 5:40 PM EDT |
Yes, in a country where the average unemployment rate is pushing 10%, and in some demographics upwards of 25%. Where the effective income of those still with jobs is down 10% and more people are loosing homes than buying ... keep your eye on the ball and keep your opinions where you have NFC what your talking about to yourself. |
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