Category Archives: False Dichotomy

False dilemma, inclusive disjunction

Posted on 3/31/2013 by Scott Aikin

Mark Steyn’s lead post at NRO today was an argumentative (and organizational) trainwreck.  Here’s just one of the fallacious lovelies.  Steyn observes that lefties have in the past been against marriage, as a kind of anti-bourgeois bit of posing.  And … Continue reading →

Posted in False Dichotomy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Did he just false dilemma himself?

Posted on 1/26/2013 by Scott Aikin

Jed Babbin, over at The American Spectator, has some objections to the gender-integration of combat troops.  He breaks the issue into two questions: First and foremost is whether the presence of women will add to or detract from the readiness … Continue reading →

Posted in False Dichotomy, ignorance of basic matters of logic | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Adventures in false dilemmas

Posted on 7/2/2012 by Scott Aikin

Here's the title of Howard Rich's post at American Spectator. Barack Obama: Socialist or Nouveau Fascist? Rich argues that Socialism isn't quite right about Obama's policies, as he does let many who have done well keep their spoils.  So it's … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Complex Question, Equivocation, False Dichotomy | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Just is

Posted on 9/27/2011 by John Casey

Yet again, in the can't tell if trolling category, we have Ross Douthat, New York Times Columnist, arguing for the death penalty.  It's the not fact of arguing for it (full and irrelevant disclosure: I think we're better off without it), it's the … Continue reading →

Posted in False Dichotomy, Plain Bad Arguments, Ross Douthat, Unclassifiable | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

If it impedes economic growth

Posted on 6/15/2011 by Scott Aikin

I watched the first Republican debates this last Tuesday.  Michele Bachmann, I felt, got the short end of the stick. Even for her coming out party (she declared herself in the race at the debates), she was too often talked … Continue reading →

Posted in False Dichotomy, Things that are false | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

If it’s on a spectrum, it doesn’t mean anything

Posted on 6/6/2011 by Scott Aikin

Phyllis Schlafly is a culture warrior.  Long ago, it was about the Equal Rights Amendment.  Nowadays, it's about gender.  Her recent post at the Eagle Forum is about an Oakland elementary school that had a presentation about gender identity.  It … Continue reading →

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Better we didn’t shoot him?

Posted on 5/14/2011 by Scott Aikin

Jay Homnick at The American Spectator isn't buying the "apotheosis of Obama" narrative he thinks is being told about the operation to take out Osama Bin Laden.  Partly because the target didn't really matter any more. He says: Osama has … Continue reading →

Posted in False Dichotomy | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Donald Effin’ Trump

Posted on 5/3/2011 by Scott Aikin

Over at National Review Online, Dennis Prager has some important things to say about Donald Trump's choice of words.  Well, what choice of words, first: The following comments were made in a public speech last week by a man considering … Continue reading →

Posted in False Dichotomy, Weak Analogy | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Bully for false dilemmas

Posted on 4/19/2011 by Scott Aikin

Thomas Sowell thinks most of the contemporary rhetoric about school bullying is nonsense.  Empty rhetoric, says he. There is a lot of talk from many people about bullying in school. The problem is that it is all talk. There is … Continue reading →

Posted in False Dichotomy, Things that are false | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Grown ups

Posted on 4/8/2011 by John Casey

People acquainted with media narratives know that the "adults" and the "grown ups" and the "serious people" are very often the Republicans, especially when we're talking about entitlements.  Democrats and their union friends, we're often told, are childish or immature for … Continue reading →

Posted in false trichotomy, hollow man | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments