False Equivalence: A How-To Guide [View all]

[Flying Squirrel]

(How did I miss this one? Whoever posted this REALLY gets it!)

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A great time to use the false equivalence fallacy is when your rhetorical position is compromised and you haven't thought it through completely, or if you need to rally support from people whose views are only expressed through talking points or who can't come to a logical conclusion on their own.

One way you could employ the False Equivalence could be:

One guy tries to light his shoe on a plane and we all have to take our shoes off, but someone shoots thirty people and we do nothing to make it harder to buy guns?

See how easy? It feels righteous and seems to make a point, but is actually gibberish. First, removing and x-raying shoes is a perfectly harmless compromise, it doesn't prevent anyone from getting on a plane, it only marginally slows things down, and you don't even have to worry about massive doses of radiation with unknown effects. Second, it doesn't take into account how inconvenient it would be to have to take off your shoes to buy an assault rifle.

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(You read that last line correctly, follow the link for the rest... all will be revealed!)

http://quarknova.com/blog/false-equivalence-a-how-to-guide.html