The blame game.

We have already covered post hoc propter hoc. But this is not the same point.

For something to happen – anything – there must be a cause.

But if nothing has happened, then there needn't be a cause.

This will become clearer with a few examples – maybe!

When there is a traffic accident, to prevent rubber necking, the Police say in a tired voice, “Nothing to see here.” And if there is nothing to see, there is nobody to blame, because there can be no cause for the accident that didn't happen.

Climate change.

The climate change demonstrators in London assumed that there was a catastrophe just round the corner, unless human beings decided to do what the demonstrators assumed was the right thing. Because they assumed the catastrophe was real, they had the right – no, the duty – to make sure they were listened to.

Anyone who doubted them – even the President of the USA – therefore had to be wrong and so it became very dangerous to question their determination. A large plastic image was floated over London in protest.

But what if there really is no danger? Then there can be no blame.

And that means things are turned inside out. If climate change – global warming – climate extinction – is not true, then there can be no blame.

And this has direct consequences:

Congress should end electric car subsidies.
When the wind changes, the turbines do not provide electricity, so there are (avoidable) power cuts in California.
Politics are affected when Congress in USA refuses to debate Climate Change.
And President Trump gets off scott free!

A second example, which is rather unpleasant.

There is said, by Margaret Hodge, and several other people too, that there is anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. If they are right, then it is sensible to blame Mr Corbyn who leads the party. And it is also sensible to look into the number of Muslims who support the Labour Party too. Most Muslims, of course, support the Palestinians in their timeless struggle with the Jews, dating right back to Biblical times.
And that means hating the people who took the land from them in the first place - the Jews.

But if there really is no anti Semitism in the Labour party, there can be no blame. So, when Baroness Chakrabati investigated and announced publicly that there was no anti-Semitism, everyone in the Labour Party got off the hook.

No shame = no blame.

Finally, Brexit.

There are all sorts of troubles here. The Withdrawal Agreement has never got through parliament. Parliament will not tolerate a clean break either. Mrs May who has been sacked as PM. There are many very angry people. So who is to blame?

Well, let's make the problem go away! We can stay in the EU!

Of course we have to pretend that we “are going back to the people” with a second referendum. But if the whole Brexit thing is called off, peace will return.
Jeremy Corbyn concentrates on other things: for him, Brexit is not important.