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The fallacy is well articulated but it is an error to, if one sees this behavior, then go on to reject all the claims of the cultists. This would mean, say, tha
by gfodor 6y ago
The fallacy is well articulated but it is an error to, if one sees this behavior, then go on to reject all the claims of the cultists. This would mean, say, that if the Soviets rightly criticized the US, we ought to assume the criticism was founded on a lie or invalid for other reasons.
It’s this error in my opinion we see just as much of. Just as much as Trump is able to influence the beliefs of his followers, he is able to induce beliefs in his haters, by causing them to become certain of the truth of the opposing claim. We should address both problems: ignoring one or the other will just lead to further destabilization.
- dredmorbius 6y agoThe delusional do not lie uniformly, and the trick to a good false narrative ("conspiracy theory") is to include as many true facts as possible, though cropped, shaded, cast, and lit to create an overwhelmingly false account. Usually true facts aren't sufficient, and most fabulists throw in additional false elements, some entirely fabricated, some subtly twisted. The effort involved in separating truth from bullshit from someone fundamentally indifferent to truth is too high. If there is in fact truth to be had, there will virtually always be a credible source from whom it can be obtained. In Dante's Hell, it was bearers of false witness who occupied the penultimate circle.
- flavius29663 6y agoExactly! The soviets and communists were not showing complete lies about the west. I lived on the other side, and I remember seeing news about homeless under the bridges, about the police beating up black folks. And it was all true, as it's still a problem today! What they didn't show is that 90% of the Americans were living better than even the top 10% of the communists