Week 4 Discussion

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Ashford University *

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Philosophy

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Jan 9, 2024

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Write: For this discussion, you will address the following prompts. Keep in mind that the article or video you’ve chosen should not be about critical thinking, but should be about someone making a statement, claim, or argument related to your Final Paper topic. One source should demonstrate good critical thinking skills and the other source should demonstrate the lack or absence of critical thinking skills. Personal examples should not be used. Explain at least five elements of critical thinking that you found in the reading material. I discovered five components of critical thinking in the Will Erstad (2018) article. He included the following in it: Identification: Determine the issue or remedy and the possible contributing variables. Who's carrying out what? What appears to be the cause of this occurrence? What are the final outcomes, and how may they be altered? Investigate: locate the information's source and assess. Is the data trustworthy? Find biases: Consider who stands to gain from the information when assessing it for prejudice. Does it seem as though the originator of this information has a goal? Does the source ignore, fail to consider, or omit material that contradicts its assertions or beliefs? Is this source misrepresenting a fact to an audience by use superfluous language? Inference: evaluate the available data and make inferences from unprocessed data. An educated guess is what an inference is. Assessing Relevance: Choose the data that will be most crucial to your conclusion. Determine your ultimate objective and utilize it to guide your assessment of what matters. Curiosity: Discover the why behind your questions and develop constructive ways to nurture them. Pose open-ended inquiries. Search the Internet, media, or the UAGC Library, and find an example in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the author or speaker. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates good critical thinking skills. The article America has spent over a trillion dollars fighting the war on drugs (2021) reflects on the 50 years of the war on drugs has brought about a shift in American politics, society, and the economy. The war aimed to eradicate social, economic, and health issues linked to drugs and abuse. Since 1971, over a trillion dollars have been spent on drug enforcement, leading to the creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). However, the war has not been successful, with drug use increasing rapidly, reaching its peak in 2019. The federal government is spending more on drug enforcement, with the national drug control budget expected to reach $41 billion by 2022. Mass incarceration, which costs the US at least $182 billion annually, is also affecting the country's approach to drugs. The article uses credible sources, which tie to the credibility and reliability of the source.

Search the Internet, media, or the UAGC Library, and find an example in which the author or speaker lacks good critical thinking skills. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates the absence of good, critical thinking skills. The article I located is titled Opinion: Human and drug trafficking fueled by cartels (2023) . In the article, the author states human and drug trafficking crisis, fueled by cartels and transnational criminal organizations, is a significant issue under President Joe Biden. In making these sorts of statements, the author is demonstrating his bias towards the current administration. The article continues to talk about the cartel and how they run extensive drug trafficking operations, focusing on fentanyl, the most lethal drug in the US. The Drug Enforcement Agency seized 58.4 million fake pills containing fentanyl and 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2022, representing approximately 387.6 million potentially deadly doses. While this information may be correct, it could also be incorrect as there are no sources cited, showing the accuracy of the information. The article continues to review China's influence and how they have contributed to the fentanyl epidemic, with Chinese labs producing precursors for Mexican drug cartels. And again, the author closes out the article by talking again about the Biden Administration's weak global presence and failed border policies have created an open lane for cartels to exploit and endanger Americans. Erstad, W. (2018, January 22). 6 critical thinking skills you need to master nowLinks to an external site. Links to an external site. . http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/main/critical-thinking-skills-you-need-to- master-now/ Links to an external site. Lee, J. (2021, June 17). America has spent over a trillion dollars fighting the war on drugs. 50 years later, drug use in the U.S. is climbing again. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/the-us-has-spent-over-a-trillion-dollars-fighting-war- on-drugs.html Opinion: Human and drug trafficking fueled by cartels . Congressman Morgan Luttrell. (2023, August 15). https://luttrell.house.gov/media/in-the-news/opinion-human-and-drug- trafficking-fueled-cartels

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