A Sexist Remark Sparks Discussion

Below is an critique of an opinion article from the Los Angeles Times. The link to the actual article is pasted below if you are interested….
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1844925,00.html

The presidential elections have concluded, but stories are still surfacing involving vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. In the article, “How Sarah Palin Rallied Pakistan’s Feminists,” by Omar Waraich, Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zadari, made an inappropriate comment that sparked discussion around the world.

Omar Waraich’s article is not valid based on the evidence he provided. Even though his evidence was somewhat clear, he used fallacies to nail his point down to the readers. The evidence is somewhat manipulated. I would compare it to that of an article comparing President-elect Barack Obama and Senator John McCain.

This article appeals to the reader’s ethics and morals. It describes the meeting between Asif Ali Zadari and Sarah Palin, and the sexist conservation that took place. Waraich’s article tries to force the idea that President Zadari was completely inappropriate when he greeted Sarah Palin during a publicized meeting. Zadari told Palin, “You are more gorgeous than you are on [television].” This is the extremely sexist remark that fueled Waraich’s argument.

Instead of simply presenting the facts, Waraich used ad hominem to drive his point home. He quoted Times Now television, “Pakistan President Asif Ali Zadari seems to be a big fan of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.” Zadari was being nice, when he complemented Palin, but Waraich twisted his words to make it sound like he was infatuated with her. All of Zadari’s thoughts and words during the meeting were rejected based on the way he complimented Palin. It does not matter what the two discussed during the meeting, the only thing that stands out is how Zadari greeted Palin.

Waraich not only attacked Zadari for complimenting Palin, but also attacked him by saying he did not love his wife. A leading Pakistani feminist said that the president was supposed to be “mourning the loss of his illustrious and so called beloved wife. Instead he [was] flirting with [Palin] in public.” This sweeping generalization took the overall love Zadari had for his deceased wife and applied it specifically to his meeting with Sarah Palin. Waraich manipulated people into thinking that Zadari never loved his wife and was obsessed with flirting with other women. Waraich tried to trick readers into thinking Zadari exploits all women.

Even though Waraich manipulates evidence to his favor, he did include some verisimilitude that enhanced his article. He described how Zadari wore one of his “signature flashy tailored suits” to the meeting. People are used to seeing the president wear this sort of attire, so it made Waraich’s article seem more believable.

Waraich also includes flashbacks in his article to enhance the sense of believability. He refered back to a previous meeting between female Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, and a leading Pakistani politician, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Aziz told diplomats after his meeting with Rice “he could conquer any woman in two minutes.” Waraich used flashbacks to enhance the possibility of truth in his article. When he quoted another Pakistani politician that said Zadari “violated” women, it made his original article more truthful and believable.

Omar Waraich’s article is a very interesting read. Without the knowledge of fallacies and the misuse of evidence, it would have been extremely difficult to analyze this article for what it really is, a biased manipulating editorial.