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Extreme comparison
Comparing opponents to the worst villains to discredit them.
In our replies we call it: Compares to villains
What it means
Extreme comparison links a person or policy to history's worst figures or events (Hitler, terrorists, dictators) so it's rejected by association, without discussing what it actually does.
How to spot it in a Reel
- "Just like Hitler" or "like a dictator" comparisons
- Images of tyrants edited next to a politician
- Policies compared to atrocities
Examples
- A Reel compares a minister to a dictator over a traffic rule.
- A Reel compares a protest movement to a terrorist group.
Why it doesn't hold up
Comparisons need to match on what matters. Sharing one surface feature with a villain doesn't make someone one.
What to say back
"In what specific way is it comparable, and in what ways isn't it?"
Questions
What is reductio ad Hitlerum?
The formal name for dismissing something by comparing it to Hitler or the Nazis.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
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