The Touro Communication Club Notes - #132– December 15, 2010
BREAKING NEWS! - Winners of the 10th Speech Contest!! The entire list of winners and finalists is listed below from last week’s highly successful contest. Find your friends!
Blog Contents:
1. Ten Quotes about “WikiLeaks and Secrecy”
2. 10th Speech Contest Results
3. UPCOMING CLUB PROGRAM: - “WikiLeaks and Secrecy” Wednesday, December 15, 2010 @ 2 pm in Room 223.
4. Logical Fallacy of the Week # 21 – “Post hoc ergo propter hoc”
5. Professor Geo’s Communication Thought of the Week
6. Note to Communicators: “Nobody’s interested in communicating during the Battle of the Sexes”
7. .NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC: The Club will be on hiatus until early February after the beginning of the Spring term. Enjoy finals and the holidays!
8. Upcoming Conversations - please add your topic to the list
9. What happened last week: “Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls:” (Lorinda’s poem, “Her Search.”)
1. Ten Quotations about WikiLeaks & Secrecy
“We open governments.”
Slogan on Wikileaks website, founded by Julian Assange
"The first serious infowar is now engaged. The field of battle is WikiLeaks. You are the troops."
John Perry Barlow, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
"Not since President Richard Nixon directed his minions to go after Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg and New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan -- "a vicious antiwar type," an enraged Nixon called him on the Watergate tapes -- has a working journalist and his source been subjected to the kind of official intimidation and threats that have been directed at Assange and Manning by high-ranking members of the Obama Administration.... It is dispiriting and upsetting for anyone who cares about the American tradition of a free press to see Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton and Robert Gibbs turn into H.R. Haldeman, John Erlichman and John Dean."
David Samuels, The Atlantic Magazine
We are all bracing for what may be coming and condemn WikiLeaks for the release of classified material. It will place lives and interests at risk. It is irresponsible."
PJ CROWLEY, U.S. State Department spokesman on the impending Wikileaks' release of cables
“Secrecy is the first essential in affairs of state.”
Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), French clergyman, noble and statesman
Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), French clergyman, noble and statesman
“Secrecy is the freedom tyrants dream of.”
Bill Moyers, American journalist and commentator. Served as White House Press Secretary until President Johnson.
“Secrecy, once accepted, becomes an addiction.”
Edward Teller (1908-2003), Austro-Hungarian/American theoretical physicist,
known as “the father of the hydrogen bomb.”
“The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths,
and to secret proceedings.”
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th President of the United States
“What is told in the ear of a man is often heard 100 miles away.”
Chinese saying
“My life is an open book. I just hope some of the pages stick.”
Jack Benny (1894-1974), American comedian, vaudevillian and actor for radio, television and film
2. Results of the 10th Speech Contest – Fall,
December 7 2010,
December 7 2010,
| Name | Title of Speech | Instructor | Course/Site | Rank |
| 1. Malka Fusilov | “Hand Hygiene” | Prof. Bardwell | GCA101 Dov Revel SCAS | First Prize |
| 2. Domanique Conyers | :”Feng Shui & Romance | Prof. Bardwell | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Second Prize |
| 3. Anna Indelicato | “Effective Management” | Prof. Turney | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Third Prize |
| 4. Malka Sulimanov | “"Protecting Ourselves from Weapons of Mass Destruction"” | Prof. Bardwell | GCA 101 Dov Revel SCAS/ | Honorable Mention |
| 5.. Eric Hawkins | "YouTube And You" | Prof. Wicke | GCA 100 Midtown/ SGS | Special Recognition |
| 6. Abayev, Elizabeth | "The Truth About Reality TV" | Prof. Bardwell | GCA 215 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 7. Noam Basher | “Bullying” | Prof. Green | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 8. Husni Chana Yosupov | “Diamonds” | Prof. Backinoff | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 9. Netu Goberdhan | “Issues of Rape”` | Prof. Green | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 10. Edwin Izaguirre | “The U.S. Marine Corps” | Prof Bardwell | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 11. Jennifer Johnson | “Teenage Pregnancy” | Prof. Turney | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 12. Manuel Oquendo | ”Motivation” | Prof. Green | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 13. Avichai Pleshtiyev | “Weight Management” | Prof. Bardwell | GCA 101 Dov Revell SCAS | Finalist |
| 14. Vanessa Rodriguez | "Becoming a College Student" | Prof. Backinoff | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
| 15. Ester Rubinova | "Improving Your Conversation Skills" | Prof. Wicke | GCA 100 Midtown/SGS | Finalist |
2. The Touro Communication ClubWednesday, December 15, 2010 - 2 pm – Room 223
Midtown
“WikiLeaks and Secrecy”
In recent days, there has been a torrent of secret American diplomatic documents released by WikiLeaks, a self declared arbiter of secrecy founded in 2006 by Australian journalist Julian Assange. Some 250,000 documents that purport to describe the behind the scenes diplomatic exchanges by the United States and some 274 of its allies have been released. Unlike the 1971 leak of the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg which was a single event, these Wikileaks actions stem from philosophical position of anarchy and are based on its slogan, “We open governments.” The banks are next. We will explore the latest in the WikiLeaks actions and compare the concept of secrets between governments, institutions, personal relationships and individual acts. We’ll ask, “Is secrecy necessary? Is transparency impossible or dangerous? What about self-disclosure?” Tune in for what should be a lively discussion.
This conversation will be the last one for 2010. We will resume in February, 2011 in the early part of the Spring semester.
3. Logical Fallacy of the Week #21:
“Argument from Authority”
I would argue that plagiarism stems from a person’s misunderstanding of authority. In a feverish attempt to complete an assignment, the person lifts a portion of a document and inserts it into his document without reference to the source.
The person who unknowingly plagiarizes is probably not conscious that authorship of a document gives a certain authority to the writing. To the naïve plagiarizer, the plagiarized portion is just a bunch of words and all words are interchangeable with another. He’s just buying another shirt at the store. The rise of the Internet has promoted an ethos that everything is free – so why not take something free and put it in your writing?
The plagiarist is not confident in his own writing and searches for something that sounds like it is authoritative that will bolster his perceived weak writing.
Authority is power. With authority comes presumed credibility. Authority comes from the letters after your name (BA, MA, PhD), the rank on your shoulder, the badge you’re wearing. All externals.
The plagiarist doesn’t feel confident in his own work. So, thinking that all writing is free, he takes what he needs.
When we feel in an inferior position, we appeal to authority to gain a balance in the relationship.
If we believe in the power of the external authority – uniforms, rank, titles, degrees, celebrity position - we gain (buy?) self-esteem. In the presence of the authority, we gain reflected glory. “I have John Lennon’s autograph.” “Here’s my picture with President Obama.” “Do you want to see my Picasso?”
In Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III,” the manipulative power hungry Duke of Gloucester surrounds himself with “two pillars of virtue” (Bishops of the Catholic Church) to give the citizens to impression that he is a pious man and worthy of the crown. Richard knows that to be credible to the groundlings he must appear to respect the church, a major political power of the day.
Ultimately, however, all authority is internal. Internal authority is hard won and often tested. The trappings of external power are just theatre, empty gestures appearing real. When we focus on the externals, we build an empty box to put under the Christmas tree.
This fallacy appears often in our discussion. Authoritative phrases begin with “The Bible says…”; The Pope says…”; The President says…”; “Father (or Mother) says…”; The Professor says…”. “Sarah Palin says…” (Oops! But then, who knows?)
For the student who is building her own knowledge base, appealing to authority is useful and does give credibility to the students’ work. Students need to be reminded that their own authority informs the frame of reference of their work, but does not demonstrate a wider knowledge beyond the narcissistic bubble.
The intellectual thinking is that the beginner needs external support for his thinking, but as she matures and demonstrates increasing command, he becomes his own credible authority.
In conclusion, the “Appeal to Authority” is a mixed bag, useful in some occasions, empty in others. The Communicator needs to recognize the difference.
4. Professor Geo's Thought of the Week #10:
A comment from Garrison Wynn, motivational speaker, “It does not matter how smart you are if nobody knows what you are talking about."
A comment from Garrison Wynn, motivational speaker, “It does not matter how smart you are if nobody knows what you are talking about."
5. A Note to Communicators:
Secrecy and Transparency
These two concepts are opposite impulses in the world of personal and political discourse. The degree of disclosure has a variable yardstick, depending on the situation and the person. Some want total secrecy. Others, like Julian Assange, want total transparency.
In the personal realm, it is unlikely you will share your most private thoughts with anyone. But you may selectively share certain aspects of your history with people you trust. The word “trust” conjures simultaneous naiveté and wily behavior. To the trusting individual, secrets are shared to bond with another. To the Machiavellian, secrets are planted for conspiratorial purposes. A history of trust between two people is violated when one betrays the secrets of another.
On the job, personal information is privileged beyond the basics. Yet co-workers and bosses are eager to learn of any negative history - scrapes with the law, family indiscretions and physical conditions. These might have an impact on work performance or the inevitable jockeying for political position.
In the business, corporate and political worlds, secrecy is the predominant behavior. Such is a wise strategy since competition, not cooperation, is the way of the world. Win-lose strategies are prevalent; win-win strategies are for the most enlightened and wary. Trust is a commodity is low supply. Any agreement needs constant due diligence for Murphy’s Law.
What makes Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks’ effort such a threat is that, as an anarchist, he espouses the destruction of government, all government. His philosophy is beyond that of a Libertarian whose beliefs in the purist form argue for little government.
In all relationships, everyone has different definitions of secrecy and transparency. To assume that your partner’s definition is the same as yours at the beginning of a relationship is both naïve and ego and ethnocentric.
In international business, surface behavior is often not what it seems. A student in one of my Touro MBA Communication classes several years ago made a business deal with a Japanese company. He was very careful in gaining agreement on every detail. Three months later, when he returned to Japan, he discovered to his dismay, there was no deal. The Japanese were merely in the early phases of getting to know and trust him. He never got any deal.
Even though we may be conscious of what we are doing, often our emotions are governing our decisions. In romance, we are blinded by surging eroticism. Even after the honeymoon period passes, one can always discover discrepancies in another’s behavior that can throw doubt on the relationship.
The glass would always be half empty if we conclude that all relationships must be regarded with suspicion. Yet, with wearing the most optimistic mask, we would be foolish to believe every word and action as true and accurate to your definitions.
To the enlightened communicator, juggling a balance between secrecy and transparency is the norm.
6. Next week’s Conversation:
The Communication Club will be on hiatus until the early part of the Spring, 2011,
Keep your eyes and ears open!
7. UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:
What about one of these topics?
“Repetition”
“Meaning”
“Why Does History Repeat Itself?”
“Heroism”
“Concentration”
“Coping with Adversity”
Student Poetry showcase
“Empathy”
“Connecting the Dots”
Role play of Cynical people
“Cold Calling in Sales”
“He’s Just Not That into You”
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