False Dichotomies

"Either I am right or the world will end tomorrow." This is just the type of statement that I have wanted to write about for some time. It is a false dichotomy. It proposes two choices as if they are the only ones. This is horrible logic and is used by both sides of the political spectrum without realizing how horrible it is.

False Dichotomies from the Left

The left regularly uses false dichotomies to support its positions. For example, either you support racial preferences or you are a racist. Either you support the feminist agenda or you are a sexist. Either you believe Al Gore or you are the equivalent of a holocaust denier. Either you are in favor of high taxes, or you don't care about the poor. Either you support heavily taxing the oil companies or you are in their pockets. Either you believe in government regulation or you want to support rich criminals. These are all arguments that I have heard by people on the left when I argue against some of their proposals.

Now a person can believe in any of those positions, but there ought to be some intellectual honesty. Say that you believe in racial quotas or preferences, but admit that others may disagree without being a racist. There is a big difference between disagreeing with the problem and disagreeing with the solution. Most differences of opinion on political issues tend to be on either the extent of the problem (the extent, not existence, of racism in America) or the solution. I may think that a market solution will best improve the environment (compared to socialism). That does not make me a holocaust denier; it just means that I have a difference of opinion.

False Dichotomies from the Right

Lest I be accused of being unfairly partisan, I might add that the right is just as likely (well, at least close to just as likely) to use this tact to argue their points. For example, either you support our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan or you support the terrorists. Either you oppose the burning of flags on Constitutional grounds or you hate the country. Either you support the ten commandments in front of courthouses, or you are against Christianity. Either you swear on the Bible or you are essentially a pagan. Either you want prayer in schools or you are trying to suppress Christianity.

These arguments are just as false. I can support people being allowed to burn flags on free speech grounds even while believing myself that it is pathetic. It is only a different of opinion.

These false dichotomies are exactly what is wrong with politics today. If we could get past the point where we demonize the views of the other party, we would get somewhere in political debate. I am not one of those people who argues that it is one side more guilty than the other. I do think that the political left is more aggressive than the political right, even though the voting masses on each side are equally bad. It is both sides that are guilty and only by both sides overcoming this problem can we start to fix politics in this country. Then, again, either you agree with me on this or you are a communist demon-worshipping evil narrow-minded bigot.