Fallacies
Oversimplifying the opponent's argument and then attacking that oversimplification
What is straw man?
Packing extra syllables into a sentence instead of choosing appropriate verbs
What are verbal false limbs?
Non-violent actions designed to protest someone or something that protesters view as dangerous or harmful
What is civil disobedience?
Information distributed by an organization or government to spread and promote a policy, idea, doctrine, or cause
What is propaganda?
Writer of "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"
Who is Henry David Thoreau?
Assuming a claim or conclusion is false because the argument contains a fallacy
What is fallacy fallacy?
A figure of speech describing when the figurative meaning of a metaphor moves away from its original meaning
What is dead metaphor?
A civil disobedience icon, known for his actions during the March on Washington and "I Have a Dream" speech (among other things)
Who is Martin Luther King, Jr.?
A propaganda icon best known for the saying "We can do it!"
Who is Rosie the Riveter?
Because he did not want to support the Mexican-American War or slavery
Why did Thoreau stop paying taxes?
Applying a standard to others, but making exceptions for yourself
What is special pleading (or moving the goalpost)?
Sanskrit or Hindi for "holding the truth"—transcends civil disobedience because it's a daily practice, not just one act
What is satyagraha?
Examples include social media posts, heavily biased news channels, advertisements on TV—things you see in 2025
What is modern propaganda?
An anonymous donor paid his back taxes, so he was released
How did Thoreau get out of jail?
Taking an attribute of one thing and applying it to an entire class (or vice versa)
What is composition/division?
Long passages, descriptors, or statements that lack meaning and are dishonest
What are meaningless words?
For refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white person, which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycotts
Why did Rosa Parks get arrested?
To get people to think or act a certain way
What is the goal of propaganda?
A tax levied on every adult, without reference to income or resources
What is a poll tax?
Claiming that the middle ground between two extremes must be the truth
Writer of "Politics and the English Language"
Who is George Orwell?
He was inspired by Thoreau and started action in South Africa and India
Who is Gandhi?
The person who developed the idea of propaganda in order to propagate Catholicism
Who is Pope Gregory XV?
Official breakdown of property owned that can be taxed
What is a tax roll?