Suggesting is not proving.
Si If A then B. B, therefore A
That is the kind of fallacy where the base or proof of the argument is conditioned. However, the argument can’t be proved, since the fact could easily not exist! They usually come with verbs conjugated in conditional tense, such as “would, could” etc. Newspapers typically resort to them too.
Example
The board of the X party would have met with the clandestine opposition of the neighbouring country (“Would have? how’s that, do you have any evidence or are you just speculating?”)
To refute it
Just stating that any existing evidence needs to be shown should be enough. Otherwise, the argument is irrelevant.
Whenever the source is not referenced, both definitions and examples have been extracted from a translation of Jaime Wilson jwilson@bytecr.com based on Stephen’s Guide to the Logical Fallacies. Copyright 1995-1998 Stephen Downes. Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.
These texts have been modified by Miguel A. Lerma and now by us to adapt them -and those taken from Wikipedia- to our format.