Types
- Characterizing a statement as "ridiculous" or "absurd" without saying specifically that it is not true; reductio ad ridiculum fallacy or appeal to ridicule.
- Using technically correct terms with negative connotations (e.g. "It is a conspiracy theory to say our corporation secretly funded global warming skeptics for practical purposes")
- Saying "We are not going to dignify with a response;"
- Impugning the general reliability of a source (e.g. Mitchell, "The so-called sources of the Washington Post are a fountain of misinformation") without addressing the particular claim alleged by the source. (Ad hominem)
- Denying a more specific version of events than that which was actually alleged. For example, for an allegation of corruption, saying "I have never received any money from anyone in the party" when an exchange of goods took place; or denying that a company is about to lay off 500 people, and then going on to lay off 400.
- Asserting that they have "no recollection" or "cannot remember" an event having taken place, giving the impression that it did not take place at all. Should they later be confronted with evidence that it did indeed happen, they can always take refuge in claiming that their memory failed them, since there is no wholly objective way anyone can ever prove or disprove this. Police interrogation manuals refer to this tactic as a "memory qualifier".
Read more about this topic: Non-denial Denial
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