Critical Thinking Reboot

This is the email I'm sending all my critical thinking students.  The class is getting stale and I need to try a different approach.  



Subject: Dear Respected Ones,

Dear Respected Ones,

GREETINGS,

Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got your contact from the International web site directory. I prayed over it and selected your name among other names due to it's esteeming nature and the recommendations given to me as a reputable and trust worthy person I can do business with and by the recommendations I must not hesitate to confide in you for this simple and sincere business.

I am Wumi Abdul; the only Daughter of late Mr and Mrs George Abdul. My father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan,the economic capital of Ivory Coast before he was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outing to discus on a business deal. When my mother died on the 21st October 1984, my father took me and my younger brother HASSAN special because we are motherless. Before the death of my father on 30th June 2002 in a private hospital here in Abidjan. He secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of $12.500.000 (Twelve Million, five hundred thousand dollars) left in a suspense account in a local Bank here in Abidjan, that he used my name as his first Daughter for the next of kin in deposit of the fund. 

He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth and some huge amount of money his business associates supposed to balance his from the deal they had that he was poisoned by his business associates, that I should seek for a God fearing foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose, (such as real estate management). 

On his death bed my father also revealed one more secret to me: He told me that he had purchased the small island nation of Wutduland and beginning Jan. 1, 2014 I am to become the ruler!

The truth is, the cocao business has been booming and so money is not a problem for me.  But I do have one very big problem:  I will have to rule a small country in just a few months and I've never ruled a country before.  I am have no idea what types of policies I should put in place.  

Should I have privatized healthcare or not?  What kinds of medicine work and which don't?  Should I make everyone get vaccinated?  Should I allow GMO crops?  If I do, should I require labels?  Should I impose restrictions of greenhouse gas emissions?  Or is global warming a conspiracy?  What kind of gun control policies should I have, if any?  Which god should I choose?  Do I have to choose just one?  Is Chipotle as committed to animal welfare and the environment as they say they are?  There's too much to decide for just one person.

I did some research on the interwebs on these issues but I find what appear to be good arguments for contradictory positions on all these issues.  Maybe if I were a good critical thinker, I could figure out what to believe and why, but unfortunately our university doesn't have a critical thinking class.  

This is where you come in.  I have heard that the students in Critical Thinking 102 sec. 1005 are some of the best critical thinkers in the world--even better than my uncle Thomos Dah.  I also read on the interwebs that his lordship, Ami Palmer, is most proficient at making good critical thinkers even better.  If you and his lordship can form a special committee on these issues and others to tell me which position I should take on the aforementioned policy problems, I will be happy to share with you most of my inheritance.  Specifically, here is what I'd like you to do:

1) Each week, I will send you information about a controversial issue and in groups I want you to do some critical thinking and research to figure out what position I should take.   This way, when I rule my country, my citizens will have the best country in the world (except 'Merika, of course).  

2)  After completing your research, you should present your findings to me in the following form:

(a)  Clearly outline what one side argues;

(b)  Decide if their premises are true;

(c)  Decide if their premises have a strong logical connection to the conclusion (relevance, sufficiency)

(d)  Identify any logical fallacies and cognitive biases.

(e)   Evaluate some of the counter-arguments and possible replies to the counter-arguments

(f)  Construct an argument for which side has the stronger case and why.

For each successful policy recommendation I will reward you with GOLD!!

To show you that I am sincere and that this is for real, I have already sent to his lordship, Ami Palmer, a small taste of what you can expect for doing good work.

please feel free to contact ,me via this email address
wumi1000abdul@yahoo.com

Anticipating to hear from you soon.
Thanks and God Bless.
Best regards.
Miss Wumi Abdul

PLEASE FOR PRIVATE AND SECURITY REASONS,REPLY ME VIA EMAIL:
wumi1000abdul@yahoo.com