We are not in the 17th century, are we?

Recently, I have seen so may infomercials and TV news that just try to fool us like we were in the 17th century. Every time I sees this, I just want to scream. But you know, sometimes those messages are hidden, not so clear, or rephrased. Even educated people fall into the traps when those things are "packaged" in a different appearance. 

 #1 is a trick with Physics. For example, "This vacuum machine is so powerful that it can suck a bowling ball." If you have some basic Physics training, you know this is simply air pressure from atmosphere. It has nothing to do with the vacuum. 

 #2 is wrong logic deduction - A implies B so Not A implies Not B, correct? Deadly wrong. For example, "Eating greasy food makes you gain weight so not eating greasy good will make you lose weight." I do need to explain this further, right? But watch this, "A is not a nice person. If B is against A then B must be a good guy." No, B can still be bad person. I do not want to dive in further but I can tell you a lot of people still fall into this trap. 

 #3 is things against basic laws in Physics. For example, "This water purifying system will take out the bad chemicals and ADD BACK the good stuff... You will NEVER need to replace the filter..." Well, nothing is coming out of thin air. So if the machine can keep "adding" good stuff without changing any parts, I really like to know how. 

 #4 is bending the law. The "renaming" movement in Taiwan is a good example. The government waywardly did it before the law was passed by the Congress. People is supposed to follow the law and so is government, even if the law is no so right. You cannot just ignore the law because you think it is a bad law. Once you do that, then you become the judge and the justice system no longer works. Especially for government, it is crucial to abide by the law otherwise this government is just a evil machine of politicians in power. Listen if this sounds right to you - I can kill a man I do not like today and tomorrow I am going to change the law so that my behavior is justified." Sadly speaking, a lot of  people do not understand this importance. 

 #5 is fashion. Since when do we think skin is more important than brain? Since when a bag costs you 3 months of salary? A better to ask is why. Why is a handbag made from plastics and some man-made material so expensive? Why does a fashion designer dress which looks like a rag cost so much? You can see the facial product getting more fancier and expensive everyday. Beauty is only skin deep, isn't it? 

 #6 is wrongly linking two independent incidents. For example, "We should elect Mr. A because Mr. A is a good man." Well, that depends. If you are choosing a boy for your girl's date, it is fine. If Mr. A is doing something that requires professional skills, then being good is not enough. A good gardener is not necessary a good cook, right? The list goes on and on. Just think it over next time you see or hear something. 

Thank you my friend. mm