![]() Do We Really Do Whatever We Can “If It Saves Just One Life”? And politicians typically argue from emotion when facts and reason don’t cooperate. But an argument intended to persuade must stand on fact and reason. ![]() An argument intended to manipulate can stand on emotion. Politicians use such lines because they stir emotions. In January 2013, President Barack Obama said, “If there’s even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there’s even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try.” A month later he tweeted, “If we save even one life from gun violence, it’s worth it.” His Vice President, Joe Biden, backed up Obama, saying, “As the President said, if your actions result in only saving one life, they’re worth taking.” But can it really be a guiding principle for policymakers, in this or any other crisis? Davies and Harrigan explore the implications of “if it saves just one life.” Governor Cuomo’s comment was no doubt a heartfelt response to an unprecedented crisis. ![]() Harrigan show in this excerpt from their new book, Cooperation & Coercion. ![]() ![]() The “if it saves just one life” argument is nothing new in American politics, as Antony Davies and James R. Last month, announcing a statewide shutdown in response to coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “And if everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy.” ![]()
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