Dear Readers:
Don’t you find it annoying when you are asked a question that isn’t really a question at all but just a provocative way for the speaker to express his or her opinion? Example:
Do you really think we are better off now that the shutdown is over and the government is spending money like crazy again?
This device is called a rhetorical question — ironically, since there is scant rhetoric involved and it is not really a question.
I tire of those who frequently pose rhetorical questions. It isn’t enough that they express their opinions — no, they must also have you agree with them. In that sense, a rhetorical question can be considered an aggressive act; it is certainly a selfish one.
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