Fallacies
 Preparing the Ground 
  • Loaded Language
  • Straw Man
  • Burden of Proof

    •  On the Defensive 
  • Baffling with Science
  • Poisoning the Well

    •  Persuasive Techniques 
  • Appeal to Popularity
  • Black or White
  • Flattery

    •  Desperate Moves 
  • Guilt by Association
  • Passive Agressive
  • Red Herring
    		•       

    Guilt by Association

    You can always judge a viewpoint by the people who believe it. If your opponent's view is starting to look attractive, then the quickest way to take the sheen off it is to cite some monster who accepted it.

    Vegetarianism, for example, is easily discredited. There may be arguments for it to do with cruelty to animals, and there may even be good nutritional and economic reasons not to eat meat, but Hitler was a vegetarian so that's that.

    Many other positions are subject to similar refutations:

    "You're recommending atheism? Why would I want to become like Stalin?"

    "You support Arsenal? So does Osama bin Laden."

    If you can't think of anyone obnoxious who has held your opponent's view, then you may have to resort to a weaker version of the same strategy. Perhaps Satan himself doesn't actually support fox hunting, but you can always suggest that it's the kind of thing he'd be into if he were given the chance to try it.