Stabbing Your Own Soldiers In The Back " Politics is an extension of war by other means.  Arguments are soldiers.  Once you know which side you're on, you must support all arguments of that side, and attack all arguments that appear to favor the enemy side; otherwise it's like stabbing your soldiers in the back providing aid and comfort to the enemy." So -- someone just made a disturbingly inane argument that seems to support your opinion, but which is just utterly wrong. Now what? Do you ignore it? Support it, and hope nobody notices the critical flaw? Criticize it, at a risk of alienating a fellow supporter? Ding ding ding! You've got to criticize it. Truth is the highest calling of the critical thinker. You'll be doing your fellow activist a great favor in the long term by correcting him/her. And besides, how can you possibly maintain a high standard of personal intellectual integrity if you fail to fight back against illogic and garbage reasoning when it pops up right there in your midst? Insert your own flowery verse here. We all know what the right answer is. But how often do we actually step in and say, "No, I'm sorry, but I don't think your conclusion follows from that particular argument"? I hardly do it at all. Smile and nod; move on. It's just easier. I can always be a rationality vigilante on the internet, right? That's safer. I don't have to see anyone frown. Nobody can raise