There is a time-tested political strategy of making false equivalences to fog up clear thinking. The term is often defined as “ comparing apples and oranges”, but politicians use it as a trick to make an issue more acceptable to voters that otherwise would have been considered unacceptable. It begins with if you think that’s bad, what about X. A classic case of false equivalence was Donald Trump’s calling both the neo-Nazi marchers in Charlottesville and the counter-demonstrators as “fine people on both sides”. Like apples and oranges, both fruits coming from trees and round that are nowhere alike on the insides, the Neo-Nazi and white nationalist marchers were shouting slogans of their inspiration, Hitler, and the counter-demonstrators were there inspired by civil rights. Both were exercising their rights. However, Donald Trump calling white nationalist tiki torch marchers flying neo-Nazi symbols fine people rankled many who believed neo Nazi’s were evil racists. The howl of anger by the outraged echoed throughout Trump’s presidency and was used by his critics as evidence he was a racist and white nationalist whenever the issue arose.
Some false equivalences have had serious consequences. Remember a year ago when Donald Trump told the public that COVID 19 was not worse than the flu, and he admitted on tape to journalist Bob Woodward, that he intentionally played down its danger? He knew better, even reciting COVID’s danger as much worse than the flu to Woodward. Even as he emerged from Walter Reed for treatment of COVID 19 he told the public COVID 19 was no worse than the flu. As we later learned, he was much sicker than we were told and was nearly put on a ventilator. He kept that charade up, even secretly getting vaccinated in December before leaving office Many of his followers have become anti-vaxxers and anti maskers due to his “mixed” messages. COVID 19 attributed deaths outnumbered the usual seasonal flu deaths per the CDC by at least three times and variants still threaten that are even more infectious than the initial COVID rates.
The false equivalences and “what about” hangovers still continue even after Donald Trump left office. Still at it are recent media talkers who tried to paint Biden as senile because he used notes at his press conference this month to reference data. ” Why Donald Trump would have been embarrassed if he did that”, the memes contend flying around the internet. Fact Checkers tallied Trump’s untruths as 30,000 over four years. With that many untruths, Trump could have benefitted from some cheat sheets, too, if he cared. For him and his followers, facts and data that provided evidence contrary to his notions were to be ignored or called false. Just riling up the crowd with repeated slogans like “build the wall” and “lock her up” was more effective and entertaining than accurate data, negative evidence, and boring figures. Nonetheless, polls showed that whatever came from his mouth was considered the truth to his loyal followers and it dictated public policy.
The newer “false equivalences” are trumpeted by Trump followers “ If you think the capitol riot was bad, what about Seattle and Black Lives Matter last summer.” The apologists for the rioters claim they were equal to the anarchists’ attacks in Seattle during the summer and indeed the anarchists broke some windows and painted graffiti on federal buildings. Loyalists to Trump have attempted to say Seattle rioters are like the violent attackers and invaders of the Capitol. The Black Lives Matter protests last summer. were mostly peaceful, but marred by some violence, but that is where the similarity ends. The inspiration and intent of the January 6 rioters were to overthrow the government and democracy by terrorizing the legislators whose constitutional task it was to certify a presidential election and they broke police lines to enter and vandalize the Capitol. That kind of intentional action is in a league by itself. The FBI is still toying with a decision of bringing sedition charges against some they already arrested for vandalism of federal property, assault on police officers, and unlawful entry. Donald Trump’s laughable attempt to rewrite history is his claim last week the Capitol police were hugging Oath Keeper rioters and just let them in. The videos and frantic calls for backup from police when their police lines were breached damn that claim. A hundred and forty police defenders, one dead, were injured, some seriously by those love hugs. What about that? For more, visit www.mufticforumblog.blogspot.com
