Fear Mongering
A specific type of appeal to emotion where an argument is made by increasing fear and prejudice towards the opposing side.
Example
Conservatives don't care about people. They just want to increase gun ownership and corporate profits so that the poor murder each other while the rich get richer.
Famous Examples
-
[We] must deal from this day on with nations greedy of every market we are to invade; nations with statesmen trained in craft, nations with ships and guns and money and men...the world still rubs its eyes from its awakening to the resistless power and sure destiny of this republic.
-
Look, when you realize how fake it all is; the football, the basketball, the Lady Gaga, the Justin Bieber—you know, who gives you these carbon tax messages... They tell your kids they gotta love Justin Biebler, and then Biebler says "hand in your guns", "pass the Cyber Security Act", and "the police state is good", and then your children are turned into a mindless vassals...
Context: The "Justin Biebler" Rant -
I want you to know, young man, we will be watching you continually while we protect the Transhumanists putting cancer viruses in our children's shots!
-
Hey listen, I'm here to warn people, you keep telling me to shut up! This isn't a game! Okay? Our government, the US, is building FEMA camps. We have an NDAA where they disappear people now. You have this "arrest for public safety", life in prison. It's basically off with their heads, disappear 'em, take 'em away. Infowars.com.
-
Listen, I know what tyranny means, I know the bankers are putting poison in our food and water. I know the bankers have stolen 8.5 trillion. I know we're under the War Powers Act. I know they're hurting us, I know they're carrying out New Word Order, I know they staged those terror attacks.
-
Humanity is actually under the control of dinosaur-like alien reptiles called the Babylon Brotherhood who must consume human blood to maintain their human appearance.
-
Don't do it again, it was a disgrace. If Saddam Hussein put up 1,000 missiles at our country, who would you go to for help? The Russians or the U.S.? Don't do it again.
(Speaking to Ottawa Hockey fans who cheered for the Russian team against the U.S. in the World Cup Semifinals)
-
The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
-
When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bring crime. They’re rapists… And some, I assume, are good people.
-
Someone must not be afraid to say, "moral perversion is wrong." If we do not act now, homosexuals will "own" America! If you and I do not speak up now, this homosexual steamroller will literally crush all decent men, women, and children who get in its way ... and our nation will pay a terrible price!
-
The whole global warming thing is created to destroy America's free enterprise system and our economic stability.
-
California Gov says yes to poisoning more children with mercury and aluminum in manditory [sic] vaccines. This corporate fascist must be stopped.
-
Mandatory vaccine legislation will lead to compulsory organ harvesting from Americans' bodies
-
However, on the flipside, fake news is also dangerous in that it is quickly becoming a tool used by the left to silence their political enemies. Like waving a magic wand, the liberals have learned that all they have to do is label conservative content as “fake news” and then make the case that its “fakeness” justifies censorship and anti-free speech regulations.
-
Chancellor Palpatine: (referring to Mace Windu) He's a traitor!
Mace Windu: (Referring to Chancellor Palpatine) He is the traitor!
Chancellor Palpatine: I have the power to save the one you love. You must choose.
Context: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith -
It is with absolute frankness that we speak of this struggle of the proletariat; each man must choose between joining our side or the other side. Any attempt to avoid taking sides in this issue must end in fiasco.
-
For example, 40% of homosexual men have a history of major depression. That compares with only 3% for men in general. Similarly 37% of female homosexuals have a history of depression. This leads in turn to heightened suicide rates.(...) Whatever the causes of these disorders, the fact remains that anyone contemplating a homosexual lifestyle should have no illusions about what he is getting into.
Download Image Files
All Sophistry fallacy cards are shared under a Creative Commons 0 license. You are free to copy, use, modify, distribute or sell them in any way you wish. You are not required to credit us but we appreciate it.