Can you outsmart the fallacy that divided a nation? - Elizabeth Cox

Prevodilac: Jovana Babic Lektor: Milenka Okuka

What, you want my milkshake? Here.

Šta je bilo? Hoćeš moj milkšejk? Izvoli.

“It’s 1819.

„Godina je 1819.

As the United States Congress prepares to make Missouri

Dok se Kongres SAD-a priprema da učini Misuri

the 24th state in the Union,

24. državom u Uniji,

Representative James Tallmage Jr. delivers a speech.

predstavnik Džejms Tolmadž je održao govor.

He says slavery is morally wrong,

On tvrdi da je ropstvo moralno pogrešno,

calling it an ‘abomination’ and a ‘monstrous scourge.’

nazivajući ga ‘gnusnim’ i ‘monstruoznim bičem’.

He insists that ‘the extension of the evil must now be prevented,’

On instistira da se ‘širenje zla sada mora zaustaviti’

and that slavery shouldn’t be allowed in Missouri, or any new state.”

i da se ropstvo ne sme proširiti na Misuri ili bilo koju novu državu.”

Obviously.

Očigledno.

“Representative Tyler disagrees.

„Predstavnik Tajler se ne slaže.

He believes it is a state’s right to choose whether or not to allow slavery.

On veruje da svaka država ima pravo da bira da li je ropstvo dozvoljeno

He doesn’t think the federal government can prohibit slavery

i da federalna vlada ne može da zabrani ropstvo

in any newly added states.”

bilo kojoj novoj državi članici.”

Whaaaaat?

Molim?

“Senator Thomas proposes what he sees as a compromise:

„Senator Tomas predlaže svoju verziju kompromisa:

Missouri will join the union along with another state, Maine.

Misuri će se priključiti uniji zajedno sa još jednom državom, Mejnom.

Slavery will be allowed in Missouri and prohibited in Maine.

Ropstvo će biti dozvoljeno u Misuriju, a zabranjeno u Mejnu.

He also suggests drawing a line through territories yet to become states:

On je za postojanje granice između teritorija koje još nisu postale države:

slavery will be prohibited north of the line, and allowed south of it.”

sa tim da će ropstvo biti zabranjeno severno, a dozvoljeno južno od nje.”

And this is where I have to draw the line.

Ovde ja moram da podvučem crtu.

That’s better.

Tako je bolje.

Now, senators, congressmen,

Sada, senatori, kongresmeni,

this Missouri compromise you are proposing is fundamentally flawed—

ovaj kompromis za Misuri koji predlažete je, blago rečeno,

flawed is putting it mildly.

u srži pogrešan.

The compromise is based on the middle ground fallacy.

On je baziran na grešci nazvanoj zlatna sredina.

By saying that half of the new territories should allow slavery

Tvrdeći da bi pola novih teritorija trebalo da dozvoli ropstvo,

while half prohibit it,

a druga polovina zabrani,

you position the two viewpoints, pro-slavery and anti-slavery,

ti razmatraš dve tačke gledišta, za i protiv ropstva,

as equally valid.

kao jednako opravdane.

But if one view is wrong, while the other is right,

Ali ako je jedna tačka gledišta pogrešna, dok je druga tačna,

a compromise between them is still wrong.

kompromis između njih je i dalje pogrešan.

And one side is definitely wrong here: the pro-slavery side.

A jedna strana ovde definitivno nije u pravu: ona koja podržava ropstvo.

The whole reason this government exists,

Čitava poenta postojanja vlade

the whole reason states exist at all, is to serve the people.

kao i poenta postojanja države je da služi ljudima.

That should include all people.

I to bi trebalo da uključuje sve ljude.

Now, I know there are those among you who would argue otherwise,

Ja znam da među vama postoje oni koji se ne slažu sa tim,

even among those in favor of ending slavery.

čak i među onima koji su za obustavu ropstva.

In response to your many contorted arguments, all of them wrong,

Kao odgovor na vaše mnoge izopačene argumente, koji su svi pogrešni,

I offer this reminder:

podsećam vas:

the idea that slavery is morally indefensible is not new to you.

ideja da se ropstvo ne može moralno opravdati nije vam nova.

The founders of your country knew it and many even acknowledged it publicly,

Osnivači vaše države su to znali, a dosta njih je to i javno priznalo,

even those of them who enslaved other people themselves.

čak i oni koji su posedovali robove.

It’s clear that the errors and delusions on this subject

Jasno je da greške i obmane koje okružuju ovu tematiku

go far beyond the middle ground fallacy,

prevazilaze zlatnu sredinu,

but I call your attention to this particular fallacy

ali ja vas upućujem na baš ovaj tip logičke greške

because it can have dire consequences in many situations.

jer on može imati zastrašujuće posledice u mnogim situacijama.

Failure to recognize the fact that a compromise between two positions,

Nemogućnost prepoznavanja činjenice da kompromis između dve strane

one of which is morally indefensible, is also morally indefensible,

od kojih je jedna moralno neodbranjiva, takođe je moralno neodbranjivo

has helped to perpetuate countless injustices large and small.

i pomoglo je da se ovekoveče brojne neprevde, kako velike, tako i male.

Even well-intentioned people— which rest assured,

Čak i ljudi sa dobrim namerama- za koje, verujte mi,

I don’t mistake you for— fall prey to this fallacy,

vas uopšte ne smatram- lako podležu ovom tipu logičke greške,

because you humans tend to view compromise as a virtue unto itself.

jer vi ljudi posmatrate kompromis kao dobru stvar.

“It’s March 1861.

„Mart je 1861. godine.

Seven states have seceded from the Union

Sedam država je napustilo Uniju

since Abraham Lincoln was elected president.

od kako je Abraham Linkoln izabran za predsednika.

As Lincoln takes office with four more states threatening to leave,

Posle njegovog dolaska na vlast još četiri države su pretile napuštanjem,

he promises not to interfere with slavery in states where it exists,

a on je obećao da se neće mešati u pitanje ropstva u državama gde ono već postoji,

but to prohibit its expansion into new territories and states.”

ali će zabraniti njegovo širenje na nove teritorije i države.”

“It’s April 1861, and a Civil War has broken out over slavery.”

„April je 1861. godine i izbio je Građanski rat oko pitanja ropstva.”

Some things can't be resolved with a compromise.

Neki problemi se ne mogu rešiti kompromisom.