The Greens leader has spectacularly failed the test of one of his party’s key policy obsessions. In the Greens’ policy literature, the invocation of the phrase “critical thinking” stands out, again and again. Adam Bandt yesterday demonstrated the opposite.
When Bandt dismissed a journalist’s question by sneering, “Google it”, the media pack dutifully haw-hawed — and ignored the fact that Bandt had just breached one of the fundamental precepts of critical thinking.
During the Q&A session after his speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Mr Bandt was asked a question by journalist Ron Mizen from the Australian Financial Review about a corporate profits tax, but then ended his question with a gotcha.
‘You said in the speech that wages growth wasn’t going particularly well. What’s the current WPI?’ he asked.
‘Google it, mate!’ Mr Bandt replied, to laughter from the audience.
The question referred to the Wage Price Index, which measures changes over time in labour costs – wages and salaries.
Sure, the question was a gotcha: but so what? Bandt had made an assertion — that wages growth was going badly — so it was up to him to provide evidence. Evidence for that would be the WPI.
Bandt couldn’t say what the WPI is.
So, he provided no evidence for his claim. As the late Christopher Hitchens said: “What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence”.
In other words, it’s up to the person making a claim to provide evidence of that claim. This is the logical precept known as the Burden of Proof. It’s also a fundamental legal concept, so Bandt, a lawyer, has no excuse for not knowing it.
It follows, then, the Reversing the Burden of Proof is a logical fallacy — the complete opposite of critical thinking.
“Google it” is a common gambit of social media loudmouths trying to dodge having to prove their ludicrous claims. It’s nothing more than an excuse not to answer a question. Just as much as when Jacinda Ardern witters “I reject the premise of your question”. That’s not an answer, it’s a dodge.
The exchange prompted a lecture from Mr Bandt to assembled members of the press about the use of gotcha questions – but did not answer the substance of the question about the Greens proposed windfall profits tax.
Daily Mail
So, Bandt never answered a question about the Greens’ signature policy. And the press let him get away with it.
He even had the cheek to lecture the media about “fact-checking” and “a contest of ideas”. He also waxed indignant about politicians “just passing time until they go out and work for the coal and gas corporations”.
Piling fallacy upon fallacy, and never answering the key question: how are the Greens going to pay for their promises?
Gotcha questions may be a cheap tactic, but that’s no excuse for dodging tough questions with cheap logical fallacies — especially from a party that continually blatherskites about critical thinking.
Instead of lying and dodging, here’s what politicians like Bandt could try, instead: be honest. Just say, “I don’t have that to hand, but it’s in our policy document”. Even better, straight up say, “I don’t know, but I can look it up”.
Not knowing something is not stupid. Anyone can not know something — and smart people look up things they admit don’t know.
Stupid people, liars and shonks refuse to know and attack anyone who asks.
Adam Bandt is clearly not stupid.
But the media are. Very, very stupid, for letting him get away with it.
