How Stories Control Our Economic Reality
Thesis Statement: You can make almost any argument stick if you just troll around in the data
for long enough.
Thesis: There is an economic theory that makes the exploitation of the people look like the
solution to their problems.
Pathos: NerdWriter appeals to pathos by using examples that the audience can understand
such as stating “no raise is better than no job” when discussing a boss mistreating its
employees. This allows the audience to relate to the worker because we can all understand the
importance of money since our society revolves around it. These examples invoke feelings of
powerlessness because most of us aren’t willing to risk our source of income in order to satisfy
our pride.
Logos: Nerdwriter satisfies our sense of logos by presenting clear, concise and unbiased data.
The data is easy to interpret and he explains it in a way that is easy to understand. Most graphs
pertaining to this subject are written by the people who are trying to manipulate the data in
order to accommodate the ultra-rich therefore being able to see the raw, unfiltered data
provides the audience with a better understanding of what is real and what isn’t.
Ethos: The author satisfies ethos by solidifying his claims with data, facts and sources. All of his
graphs have the sources written on the bottom left corner which enhance his credibility. As
well, he worked with Nick Hanauer, an activist in the fight for a $15 minimum wage movement,
in order to get the perspective of someone who deeply cares about this issue and someone
who can show him the side of the story that the media doesn’t cover.