Digging Deep To Find Nothing Specific

In today's (Jan. 20, 2006) Vijaya Karnataka, there is an article about Water [Resource] Experts, and the seminars they hold. It is written by Mr.Radhakrishna S. Bhadti.

It is Mr.Bhadti's contention that these seminars are not of any use. He starts thus:

ಇಂಥವುಗಳಿಂದ ಅದ್ಯಾವ ಪುರುಷಾರ್ಥ ಸಾಧನೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೋ ತಿಳಿದಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಣ, ಸಮಯ, ಶ್ರಮ ಹೀಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದೂ ವ್ಯರ್ಥವಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಇದು ಸ್ವತಃ ಅವರಿಗೂ ಗೊತ್ತು. ಆದರೂ ಅವರು ಅಂಥ "ಘನಕಾರ್ಯ" ಮಾಡುತ್ತಲೇ ಇರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅದು ಅವರಿಗೆ ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯ ಕೂಡ.

It is only the beginning. Here are some of the things he writes about these experts and the seminars they hold:

• They talk for hours.
• The seminars are held in very expensive star hotels.
• There are way too many seminars - at least one or two a month in Bangalore alone.
• If you want to attend these seminars, you better have "Nike" footwear, jeans pants and designer shirts. Further, you better use perfume...
• Once you are there, you must consume [alcoholic] drinks.
• These seminars are sponsored by companies like Coke, Pepsi, King Fisher etc.
• These seminars are held in expensive hotels. (Yes, this is mentioned twice in the article.)
• The professors and experts who attend these seminars have no clue about ground-water.
• Their toilets are better than our prayer-rooms (ದೇವರಮನೆ).
• They use western style toilets with flush buttons. (Yes, it's there in the article!)
• They drink "Bisleri" water bottled by companies that are depleting our ground-water.
• Some NGOs [that arrange these seminars] that live on foreign money have made this their "ದಂಧೆ".

Mr.Bhadti seems to know a lot about these seminars, experts (and the toilets they use). Surely he must be able to name at least a few of them, no? Definitely he is capable of naming one such seminar and one such expert, don't you think?

If you thought so, think again. In an article that's 11 paragraphs long, that engages in incessant attack on these "seminars" and "experts", not a single seminar or an expert is named.

As far as strawman-arguments go, this indeed is a gem!