While both are totalitarian systems, they cannot and should not be used interchangeably, nor in place of “totalitarian,” which is more accurate for the argument. ![]() “Fascist” is an extreme far-right ideology and “communist” is an extreme far-left ideology. The moral equivalence fallacy compares two unrelated things and attempts to make them appear morally equivalent. Refocus the debate on what was actually written or said, not the perceived character of the speaker. Or, someone lobs a personal attack on the character of the person commenting on social media rather than what was written in their post. Cara Christ, rather than what the official has actually said or done. ![]() When a person makes an argument and follow-up comments attack the person rather than what they say, and the argument devolves into personal attacks.įor example, someone attacks or defends the character of local officials, Arizona Gov. The ad hominem fallacy, or “against the man,” is basically a Latin term for name-calling. There is a middle ground between these two clear extremes.įind the middle ground, a third way, or respond “sideways” - a rhetorical flanking move that pokes hole in the “either-or” question with another option beyond A or B. For example, either we all wear masks 24 hours a day or we all die from COVID-19. Also known as the “either-or” logical fallacy, it suggests there are only two options to a problem, usually diametrically opposed over a topic, and forces the opponent of the argument to either pick A or pick B. The fallacy of the false dilemma is one of the most common we see in our comment threads. Here are some fallacies to avoid and how to counter them. ![]() While we have always kept an eye out for logical fallacies in the comment section of our news stories, and sometimes pointed out to users that their comments and criticisms or attacks on other people who comment contain these fallacies and failures of rhetorical argument, the pandemic has exacerbated the problems of online debate and conversation. Often these frustrations result in heated debate and bad rhetorical devices to fight these arguments. Many readers are frustrated with the state of the world, the slow pace of economic recovery or governmental response, the far-off hope of a vaccine, cure or herd immunity, or beset with a personal anecdote of a friend or relative who has become ill or died from COVID-19, lost their job or their business, or suffered some other tragedy, and takes to social media to vent their frustrations. But the problem with so many people stuck at home is that invariably we get sucked into the drama that appears on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms. We get onto the internet for information or to connect with friends and family on social media. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique online environment with high numbers of Americans opting to stay home for safety or because there’s nothing to do.
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