"Like Most Americans..."

[moonbatmax]

This one's a bit out of left field, I suspect, coming as it does from the chairman of the Center For Inquiry, Los Angeles bureau. I'm really not sure how many folks here are familiar with this skeptics' organization. I've been reading their journal, the Skeptical Inquirer for something like a decade now, and it's been a most enlightening and informative experience. In any case, I got a copy of this message from CFI Chair Eddie Tabash in my email, and thought the first two lines really needed to be shared with a (slightly) wider audience:

Like most Americans, I have been experiencing difficult economic times in this most challenging year. Nonetheless, I have personally donated a total of $100,000 to CFI during 2010.

Well, Ed, I must say, I am glad to know that most Americans are experiencing difficult economic times like you. You see, if they were experiencing them like me, they wouldn't have a dime to their names, let alone a hundred grand for charity. I'm actually fortunate in having a pair of understanding parents who are helping me through this most challenging year, but if most Americans didn't have those hundred thousands just waiting for charities to receive them, oh! How much more challenging might it be for all of us!

EDIT: (minor formatting)

[Newest Reality]

1. How can we accept phrases like that anymore?

The casual, unconscious use of language can become a magic spell, propaganda or a tool for manipulation.

Perhaps that is why critical thinking is not a big subject these days? It is not really any harder than understanding how to form an intelligible sentence.

We may delete, distort and generalize for brevity or out of habit, yet, not being aware of that process is what contributes to lack of clarity and substance in communication.

"Like most Americans, ... " can be a good example of that. That is a complex equivalence where the writer compares himself to a universal quantifier using, "most" people.

As the OP points out, most Americans (and that would be statistical) are not experiencing a similar kind of economic difficulty and that becomes obvious by the significant amount of his donation.

[howaboutme]

4. This is what critical thinking is about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q Until every American understands that critical thinking is not at all about politics, but instead about common sense and intellect, we will continue down the wrong path.

[AtheistCrusader]

2. CFI is similar to SI

but goddamn, what an ignorant donation drive advert. I missed that one completely.

[Crazy Dave]

3. Kind of like when I lost my business back in '08

An EXTREMELY wealthy and well meaning friend of mine told me, "Just start another one".

I was also watching a news program once and the hostess was asking these three financial "experts" what Americans should do if they lose their job. The first answer was, "The very first thing you should do is put away three months of your salary", the other two were no more helpful like make sure you keep your health insurance with COBRA, etc.

My advice is seek help from family and/or find out which local charities or churches offer assistance with utility bills, food, rent and mortgage payments. Food stamps if possible but I personally know more people who have been denied or had their assistance stopped for stupid reasons due to the rigid guidelines to be eligible.