Logic Lesson of the Day: False Dilemma [View All]

From Wikipedia:

A false dilemma (also called false dichotomy, the either-or fallacy, fallacy of false choice, black-and-white thinking or the fallacy of exhaustive hypotheses) is a type of logical fallacy that involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there are additional options (sometimes shades of grey between the extremes). For example, "It wasn't medicine that cured Ms. X, so it must have been a miracle."

False dilemma can arise intentionally, when fallacy is used in an attempt to force a choice ("If you are not with us, you are against us.") But the fallacy can also arise simply by accidental omission of additional options rather than by deliberate deception (e.g., "I thought we were friends, but all my friends were at my apartment last night and you weren't there.")

When Obama said that there were two proposals--His Grand Bargain, and the Republican's Slash and Burn Plan, that's a False Dilemma. There is a continuum that extends far beyond either. The People's Budget (unfortunate name, so Whiteout the name and put Obama's name over it) addresses the deficit far more adeptly than either of the plans mentioned by Obama.