Another example of “Begging the Question” fallacy

Another example of “Begging the Question” fallacy

The very first passenger train with paying customers crashed on a brand new rail line with a brand new locomotive.  A spokesperson then proceeds to tell us that the railroad is safe:

“It’s important to note, this is not a comment on the safety of those tracks. We have no reason to believe those tracks are anything but safe,” WSDOT spokeswoman Barbara LaBoe said. “This is a decision based on sensitivity both to the people involved in Monday’s tragic events and our ongoing passengers.”

No reason? After you’ve just experienced a spectacular crash on the first passenger run? Seriously, no reason? Empirically, the rail service was not and is not safe.
See here and here for other examples of this fallacy.
This is a common propaganda spin – after something bad happens, we assert that this is “not who we are”, or “our streets” or “our rail lines” are safe. When you see this you are seeing propaganda drivel at work.
Another post will look at other, louder propaganda that emerged after this rail crash.
 
 

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