Jonanism

Wheeee…!

Cogito ergo sum Logic and rhetoric

Key articles

Logical fallacy Syllogism Argument

General logic

Improbable things happen Slothful induction Chewbacca Defense Anecdotal evidence Imprecision fallacy Rogerian argument

Bad logic

Tu quoque Galileo gambit Linking to authority Fallacy fallacy Courtier's Reply Hindsight bias v - t - e

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“”Perhaps the worst social toxin of our age is the belief that you should only form friendships with those who have similar political beliefs.

—Peter Boghossian

Jonanism is the logical fallacy of believing that everyone you hate is the same. The term is a portmanteau of the name of Jonah Goldberg, and Onanism.

Definition

1. The belief that everybody you hate is exactly the same.
2. The belief that since nobody takes you seriously, you must be very serious.
3. Any attempt to popularize these beliefs in book and associated website form.

Offenders

“”I always thought rational wiki was a right-libertarian/ancap site. It's merely "liberal?"

—Über-tankie BigMorgan summing up all of Jonanism in one fell swoop

Fundamentalists and many religious right pundits tend to label anybody who disagrees with them "Anti-Christian" or "Anti-Judeo-Christian values". Wingnuts usually call nearly anybody who disagrees with them "liberal" or "leftist", and moonbats may call anyone who argues with them "fascist", "racist", or something similar. However, in order to fit the label of this fallacy, the person must be some sort of pathetic pundit or activist who tries to push their nonsense through cheap mediums such as books or websites. When ignored or laughed off, these pundits or activists may believe it is proof that their "enemies" control the media or other institutions. One could say that "Jonanism" is the combination of several fallacies, mainly overgeneralizations, the false dilemma ("With us or against us!"), and the Galileo gambit.

Examples

Keep in mind that the offenders have to be considered "fringe", "nutty", or just plain stupid by most of society. Jerry Falwell actually had power and was influential, so he couldn't qualify, whereas the pundits below are largely considered jokes and couldn't change much no matter how hard they tried. Most of these people believe that the fact that they have to resort to cheap means to get their point across is evidence that their enemies control the media or that they're persecuted. For actually influential people who think all their critics are the same, see fallacy of opposition.

• Jonah Goldberg — Thinks fascists and liberals are the same. In turn, actual historians and political scientists regard Goldberg as an idiot.
• Theodore Beale — (See entry on Dennis Prager.)
• Cathy Brennan — Trans-exclusionary radical feminist who believes that all of her opponents are anti-feminist or anti-women. When told she's clearly nuts, the remark is instead taken as proof the "misogynists" are persecuting her.
• Jack Chick — Believed all of his enemies were anti-Protestant. Or somesuch. Also believed that Islam, Wicca, Satanism, atheism, and communism were all created by the Catholic Church (despite all of those groups being at odds with the Catholic Church to some degree or another).
• Clenard Childress — Runs a website which claims that abortion is a "black genocide".
• Ray Comfort — (See entry on Dennis Prager.)
• Ann Coulter — (See entry on Dennis Prager.)
• Dinesh D'Souza — (See entry on Dennis Prager.)
• Hard green bloggers who believe all their enemies are "corporate whores" or something similar.
• John Hawkins, radical right blogger, embodies this fallacy, believing that everyone he hates is anti-American and sympathetic towards terrorists.
• Islamic Awakening — Thinks everybody against them is "anti-Muslim" and the fact that the "heathens" consider them crazy is evidence they're doing good.
• Any Marxist blogger or writer who labels all of their enemies "bourgeois scum" or anything similar.
• Any libertarian blogger who consistently calls people they disagree with "statists" or "socialists".
• Hindu nationalists who constantly label any dissenters as "Islamists", "communists", or "liberals" without being able to tell them apart.
• Men's rights movement bloggers who believe everyone who opposes them is a "radical feminist" or "anti-man".
• Metapedia and any other Neo-Nazi webshite that uses words like "Jewish/Zionist" and/or "Marxist" to describe people or stuff they hate.
• Moonbattery.com — Thinks anybody even slightly to their left is a "Moonbat".
• Certain New Atheists — such as Sam Harris — who are prone to labeling any non-religious critics as part of the "Regressive Left". Before that, the "Postmodernist" label was popularly used.
• Candace Owens — Everyone I don't like is a racist socialist trying to destroy America!
• Katie Pavlich — Pushes conspiracy theory filled books about how Barack Obama is coming for your guns and believes anyone not sufficiently right-wing for her tastes is liberal. When ignored, she believes it's proof of the liberal media.
• Dennis Prager — Believes all of his enemies are anti-Judeo-Christian, or are "Leftists" (to the point where he calls Ron Paul a leftist for straying from a neocon point of view). His ridiculous articles about things like how universities are turning students bisexual and other such nonsense leaves him to be laughed off by most (with the exception of certain wingnut circles who actually believe him to be an intellectual). Him being laughed off or ignored is evidence of the liberal feminist conspiracy.
• Andrew Schlafly — 'Nuff said.
• W. Cleon Skousen — Originated the "Nazis and Commies were really both extreme left wing movements" shtick that has become sadly prevalent in certain right-wing circles with its nonsensical redefinition of "extreme left wing" as any form of totalitarianism and "extreme right wing" meaning anarchy. Not to be confused with horseshoe theory.

See also

• Other
• Persecution complex
• Wingnut welfare
• The Gateway Pundit

External links

• The Poor Man Institute -Vocabulary Corner