Slippery Slopes: Not Just for Libertarian Paranoia any more

About two weeks ago I got into it with Jason on Delawareliberal over (of all things) opera.

What's interesting is the comment Jason made in critiquing one of my argument:

The logical fallacy that Libertarians like most, above all logical fallacies is that slippery slope argument.

I pointed out in rebuttal:

Not all slippery slope arguments are invalid–you guys use them all the time about Republicans when it suits your purposes, so get real.

And Dana Garrett agreed with me:

“Not all slippery slope arguments are invalid”

Now there is a truth few know. Any chance you could teach it to Al Mascitti? If you tell him the predictable consequence of some action (that he likes, of course), his knee twitches and out comes the “You are committing the slippery slope fallacy.”

Here’s the scoop on it folks:

“If A happens, then by a gradual series of small steps through B, C,…, X, Y, eventually Z will happen, too. Z should not happen. Therefore, A should not happen, either.”

The whole bit disappeared from my mind (things often do; it's cluttered and things get lost) until I was cruising the website of George Lakoff's Progressive think-tank, the Rockbridge Institute, and found an article on Strategic Initiatives. Here's the lead-in:

There are many types of Strategic Initiatives. The most far-reaching type is a Multiple Issue Strategic Initiative but another important one is a Slippery Slope Strategic Initiative. Both introduce wedge issues to divide opponents and make it easier to accomplish ambitious, long-term goals.

More specifically,

A Slippery Slope Strategic Initiative is so called because the first step is intended to be only part of what you want, but is a step that opens the door to further steps on the way to your ultimate goal. This works by making the first step on the slippery slope so attractive or palatable that traditional opponents have a hard time countering it.

For instance, the issue and ideas behind a Slippery Slope Strategic Initiative are presented in such a way that you put your opponents on the defensive, placing them in a difficult spot, and making it more likely that you will succeed. Critically, the first step puts a new frame in place. Once the first step is accomplished, the next step is easier because the new frame can be elaborated once it is in place. Using the same reasoning, you continue down the slope step by step, gaining momentum toward your final goal.

An important feature of both a Multiple Issue and a Slippery Slope Strategic Initiative is that they divide your opponents by operating as wedge issues—each drives a wedge between members of your opponent's usual coalitions.

The article cites bans on partial birth abortion as a successful Conservative Slippery Slope Strategic Initiative and clean air/clean water initiatives as similar potential strategies on the Progressive side.

In fact, the article argues,

What Can Progressives Do? Craft Our Own Slippery Slope and Wedge Issues.

There follow detailed instructions for creating and carrying through such initiatives.

So I guess it's not a matter of Libertarian paranoia.