A friend of mine recently drew my attention to a phenomenon often seen in public discourse and on social media — expressions like “they’re both the same,” or “they’re both trash.” This rhetorical move is what cognitive science calls false equivalence — a misleading comparison that presents two unequal things as if they were equal.
For instance, imagine one person says, “Pashinyan is to blame for the defeat in the 44-day war,” while another responds, “It was the 11,000 draft dodgers who were to blame.” Then a third, trying to sound objective, says, “Those are two extremes — the truth must be somewhere in the middle.” In reality, that kind of “objectivity” only serves the interests of one side.
In a certain sense, of course, we mortals are all equal — in that we have all committed sins. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) It is true that anyone can be blamed for something, but that does not mean we can place an equal sign between everyone. A conversation like this makes no sense:
— “You’re a serial killer.”
— “Well, you cheated on your wife.”
Both are sins, yes — but to create a false equivalence between them is a rhetorical trick meant to justify the serial killer or at least soften the perception of his crimes.
Therefore, when we keep hearing the formula “the government and the opposition are equally bad,” it usually serves one of two purposes:
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1.To argue that the government is indeed bad, but there is no worthy counterbalance to it.
2.To claim that all opposition forces are worthless — and therefore, I will create a new one capable of changing the government.
Both versions, in fact, work objectively in favor of those in power.
That is why I am reluctant to harshly criticize any opposition force — not only those connected to the first three presidents, but anyone striving for a change of power. To do so risks falling into the trap of false equivalence. For if we place all those past sins and present mistakes on one side of the scale, and the devastation brought by Pashinyan on the other, the latter will undoubtedly weigh far heavier.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
