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Fake News 101: The Straw Man Fallacy

Avery Wiseman

“You want to have universal healthcare? You must want to have government control over our bodies and destroy the economy.”

What is a 'straw man' fallacy?

A straw man fallacy is a type of logical fallacy that occurs when someone misrepresents or exaggerates an opposing viewpoint in order to make it easier to attack or refute. The term “straw man” refers to the idea of creating a “bogeyman” or “scapegoat” out of a weaker or distorted version of an argument, rather than addressing the actual argument itself.

The straw man fallacy is a common tactic used in political debates, discussions, and media, where a person sets up a straw man version of their opponent’s argument and then proceeds to attack this distorted version, rather than the real argument. For example, if someone argues that all guns should be banned, a person committing a straw man fallacy might argue that the person wants to take away all guns from law-abiding citizens, rather than addressing the actual argument about banning all guns.

Another example of straw man fallacy is when someone accuses their opponent of holding an extreme position that they don’t actually hold. For example, if someone argues for increasing the minimum wage, a person committing a straw man fallacy might accuse them of wanting to eliminate all jobs, rather than addressing the actual argument about raising the minimum wage.

One of the key characteristics of a straw man fallacy is that it involves misrepresenting or exaggerating an opposing viewpoint in order to make it easier to attack. It is a type of false argumentation because it presents a false version of the opponent’s argument to make it easier to discredit or dismiss it.

The straw man fallacy can also be used to create a false sense of consensus or to silence dissenting voices. For example, if someone argues that a particular policy is bad, a person committing a straw man fallacy might argue that anyone who disagrees with the policy is unpatriotic or uninformed.

To avoid the straw man fallacy, it is important to be aware of this tactic and to be mindful of how it is used. When engaging in a debate or discussion, make sure to address the actual argument rather than a distorted version of it. Seek to understand the opposing viewpoint and be prepared to refute it using facts, evidence, and logical reasoning.

In conclusion, the straw man fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone misrepresents or exaggerates an opposing viewpoint in order to make it easier to attack or refute. It is often used in political debates, discussions, and media, and it is a type of false argumentation because it presents a false version of the opponent’s argument to make it easier to discredit or dismiss it. It is important to be aware of this tactic and to seek to understand the opposing viewpoint and be prepared to refute it using facts, evidence, and logical reasoning.

10 Examples of a 'Straw Man' Fallacy

“Those who want to ban all guns are just trying to take away our rights and leave us defenseless.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument that all guns should be banned as an attempt to take away rights and leave people defenseless)
“You want to raise taxes on the rich? You must hate all successful people and want to punish them for their hard work.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for raising taxes on the rich as a hatred for successful people and a desire to punish them)
“You want to legalize marijuana? You must want to turn our kids into drug addicts and destroy society.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for legalizing marijuana as a desire to turn kids into drug addicts and destroy society)
“You want to increase the minimum wage? You must want to destroy small businesses and cost jobs.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for increasing the minimum wage as a desire to destroy small businesses and cost jobs)
“You want to take away our freedom of speech? You must want to create a totalitarian regime.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for limiting certain types of speech as a desire to create a totalitarian regime)
“You want to protect the environment? You must want to shut down all industry and put us back in the dark ages.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for protecting the environment as a desire to shut down all industry and return to pre-industrial times)
“You want to have open borders? You must want to let in all criminals and terrorists and destroy our way of life.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for open borders as a desire to let in criminals, terrorists and destroy one’s way of life)
“You want to have universal healthcare? You must want to have government control over our bodies and destroy the economy.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for universal healthcare as a desire for government control over one’s body and a desire to destroy the economy)
“You want to have more diverse representation in media? You must want to force everyone to conform to a certain ideology and silence dissenting voices.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for diverse representation in media as a desire to force conformity and silence dissenting voices)
“You want to have a more robust social welfare system? You must want to create a nation of lazy people who don’t want to work and live off government handouts.” (straw man fallacy – misrepresenting the argument for a more robust social welfare system as a desire to create a nation of lazy people who don’t want to work and live off government handouts)

Straw Man v. Society

Disinformation can damage a society in a variety of ways. One of the main ways is by undermining the public’s trust in institutions and the democratic process. When people are exposed to false or misleading information, they may begin to question the legitimacy of government and other organizations, leading to a loss of faith in the ability of these institutions to serve the public good.

Another way in which disinformation can damage a society is by creating division and mistrust among different groups of people. Disinformation campaigns often target certain groups, such as minorities or political opponents, with the goal of creating fear and mistrust among these groups. This can lead to social unrest and even violence.

Disinformation can also be used to manipulate public opinion and influence elections. False information can be spread to influence how people vote, and can even be used to delegitimize election results.

Furthermore, disinformation can also undermine the fight against COVID-19. False information about the virus and vaccines can discourage people from getting vaccinated and following public health guidelines, leading to a more severe outbreak and more deaths.

Lastly, disinformation can also lead to bad decision making. false information can lead people to make decisions that are not in their best interest, whether it be choosing a bad investment or supporting a harmful policy.

In summary, disinformation can damage a society by undermining trust in institutions, creating division, manipulating public opinion and elections, undermining the fight against COVID-19 and leading to bad decision making. It can erode the foundation of democracy, disrupt social harmony and harm the public health.