The Fallacy of False Dichotomy Discovered

The Fallacy of False Dichotomy Discovered

A false dichotomy is a logical fallacy that involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there is at least one additional option. The options may be a position that is between the two extremes (such as when there are shades of grey) or may be a completely different alternative. A false dichotomy can arise intentionally, when fallacy is used in an attempt to force a choice (such as, in some contexts, the assertion that "if you aren't with us, you're against us").

The game "Would You Rather" is a perfect example. "Would you rather be unable to see for one day or unable to use your phone for one month?" "Would you rather be able to fly or turn invisible?" "Would you rather be able to lie without being caught or always be able to tell when someone is lying?" "Would you rather be a Democrat or a Republican?"

Growing up, I never thought of the Democrat/Republican question as a false dichotomy. There were only two options, right? It can't be a false dichotomy if there really are only two options. So which side of the political spectrum did I fall on? Well, my parents loved George H.W. Bush, and despised "Slick Willy," so that was one point for the Right. I loved animals, and Republicans wanted to kill all the puppies and kittens (I can't find the source for this, but I'm pretty sure i learned it on PBS), so I sided with the Liberals on this one. So there I was, at a fork in the road. My choices were go Right or go Left. 

Enter George W. Bush. Ol' W. The Texan that ran for President against the Enviro-nut, inventor of the Internet: Al Gore. Notice it only takes one adjective to describe Bush: Texan. That's all that mattered really. My path was paved in gold to the Right, and Bush was the Goldsmith. I started listening to Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and G. Gordon Liddy daily. I read Ann Coulter, Michelle Maulkin, and the Drudge Report. And, like any good conservative, I watched Fox News as my exclusive news source. I was a dyed in red Neocon, and I had no idea what that meant. I hated the Left, and I had no idea why. My ideas and thoughts on current events, elections, and national issues were only rehashed versions of what Rush and Sean said earlier that day on the radio. I was drowning in a sea of ignorance, and I didn't even know that I couldn't swim. I thought my head was above water the whole time.

Fast forward to 2012's Republican Primary. I had no idea who I was going to support, so I actually started researching the candidates on my own. I found out Mitt Romney was a flip-flopper, who had supported abortion, anti-gun legislation, and a slew of other abominations to Rightist thinking in the past. But he was a good Republican now that it was politically expedient; now that he wasn't governing one of the most Democratic states in the Union. Newt Gingrich seemed pretty solid. It seemed I could maybe throw my hat in the ring for him. Santorum said a lot of things that made me question his commitment to the separation of Church and State, so I couldn't support him. And then there was this other guy. Dr. Ron Paul: Texan. I had to research him; he's a Texan after all.

The biggest topic of the Republican debates were spending deficits, the economy, and the national debt. I went to Dr. Paul's website and started investigating his monetary policies. The site suggested I watch was this movie on the Federal Reserve. I learned more in this 42 minute movie than I had in all my education. I was immediately intrigued. What else did Dr. Paul have to say about today's issues. After hours of scouring his website, reading every article, blog, and post I could find, I was shocked that none of this stuff lined up with what talk radio and Fox News had taught me, but I actually agreed with all of it! Dr. Paul clearly defined freedom and liberty and made a real, coherent case for smaller government and less intrusion into the citizenry's lives. This is the candidate I had been looking for. End the war in Afghanistan, end the pointless War on Drugs, end the War on Terror, cut wasteful government spending, adhere to the Constitution, and the list goes on and on.

I was excited and talking to everyone I knew about Ron Paul. My friend, Ryan Locker, told me that if I was really interested in what Ron Paul was saying and doing, I should watch a YouTube video about John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek. Then I watched the "Round Two" follow up. Never had I been interested in Economics until I watched these two videos. They were entertaining and packed with information and references that were way over my head, but I had to know more. I kept looking.

My next major discovery was the Mises Institute. This is what has truly shaped my political and economic thoughts over the past year. The writings of great minds such as Ludwig von Mises, Murray N. Rothbard, Lew Rockwell, Tom Woods, Ron Paul, Henry Hazlitt, and Frederic Bastiat - to name a few - have absolutely changed my life. These authors are champions of the Austrian School of economic thought. I have now changed my ideological alignment from a Texan to an Austrian, by the grace of God.

I would encourage anyone that wants to become more knowledgeable about politics and the economy to read as much as they can by any of the aforementioned authors. All of their writings are available, completely free in their entirety at mises.org. As I learn, I want to share with others, and this blog will be my vehicle to do that.

If you think you are being presented with the false dichotomy of Right/Left, Republican/Democrat, Romney/Obama, just remember there is another choice. There is another path to follow. The greatest intellectual minds of the past 100 years have paved the road for us. It is the Libertarian road. Will you walk down it with me?