There is an old joke that starts by asking you, “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?” Whether you answer yes or no it sounds like you are admitting to being a wife beater. It’s a practical joke based on the use of an implicit premise – that you beat your wife. The technique is used for more than a laugh though. It’s also a favorite of politicians, who use it to manipulate public opinion.
You see, political manipulation is accomplished by controlling the framework in which others can argue and ultimately even think about things. To get your viewpoint accepted without openly arguing it, for example, you introduce it as an implicit premise of the …