Sol's Culture Wars

You'll excuse the sore rant here, but it's sometimes frustrating to witness the venal nature of today's rabid media. We're doing this to ourselves daily, mindlessly, often subtle, unnoticed. American culture is casually and effectively diminishing our humanity, while elevating social platforms to a living status, a new and crazy species. We're doing this with simple words, common phrases and associations, language that magically breathes life into entities like X-Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. They are all actually living, feeling beings now that must be fed, nurtured, constantly monitored.  "Social media melted down as..." "Twitter exploded today after..." "Facebook reacted harshly when..." We talk and pretend as if these soulless electronic platforms have substance and identity, some new consciousness. In reality, these public forums are the most disparate, random, and therefore unreliable mess of human expression, all at the same or s...

Definitions are everything. Definitions determine whether or not you're having the same conversation, true for any topic. I'll reference three subjects here: the 2020 presidential election, gun control, and abortion. The painful topic of abortion is particularly divisive because no one agrees on the operating terms like "life", "killing", and "choice". When does life begin? When is killing really only choosing? When is choosing really only killing? Are they the same? Both? Without first defining these perspectives- an arduous or maybe even impossible task- how can useful dialogue happen? The social quagmire of gun control policy means different things to Americans. Some folks define the topic as their own guns will be controlled, but not criminals who easily obtain their weapons illegally. Other folks think control means curtailing semi-automatic guns and rifles, large capacity ammo, and attachments. The two sides remain far apart because there are...

How the left so naively salutes and embraces pure, demonic evil disguised as progress and equity. The left-- always the first to be eliminated in totalitarian dictatorships-- cannot hear the snickering from the power hungry, godless enemies of the individual. Enemies of basic human rights, enemies of liberty and self-governance over state tyranny, enemies of civilian control of police.  How the right so foolishly embraces both the patriots and the extremist types, as if there aren't so many loonies loose. The right continually fails to purge their ranks of the bigots, bullies, and brainless who often distract from the important issues.  Beware these dangerous, deceitful days when words and images are fake, and manipulated for unknown agendas. Stay alert to the bullshit in all media, all govt agencies, school boards, bad employers, bad unions, and especially all the so-called experts. Finally, ascribe the real blame precisely: all partisans should recall that it has taken TWO f...

Love or hate isn't the issue. What has happened here? I suspect it is something quietly horrible. Something that should frighten everyone who cherishes our free society. Rationalize fairness, you then dilute its credibility. And, someone please explain these whacky polls. How is it true that most folks understand that billionaire Soros' stooge, DA Bragg, has indicted Trump for political reasons- to prevent his candidacy or chances for success- and also, polls say most Americans favor this indictment? That's how much folks dislike the former President?  We're willing to overlook a legal travesty, a case so weak even the prosecutor, after filing the case, doesn't want to deal with it again until December? Why the obvious shelving and outrageous delay? Because the big headline and lasting media frenzy was already achieved. Damaging optics realized, or so the almost rabid Trump haters hope. His own sketchy political record aside, the point is still embarrassingly true. ...

Is it going too far to say we're officially a bullshit country now? Or, that the Constitution has become a bad meme? The rule of law is suspect, maybe gone? The powers in the backroom prevail? Government and media are complicit? Agencies function as political muscle? Going back thirty years, never been a Donald Trump fan. Cannot imagine ever being one, given his personality. But, I'm disgusted with the mayhem his enemies have resorted to, so fearful he could win another election. The dopey Democrats are morally blinded by this fear, willing and able to violate every principle of legal sovereignty to ensure Trump can never again be a candidate. Without massive, proven and conceded vote harvesting, and other shenanigans, Democrats aren't confident at all.  I'm afraid that the system may be broken beyond repair when political rivals are targets of wokely weaponized government goons following orders.  It's highly likely the loony zealotry of Trump haters will destroy mo...

When does simple debating turn into jousting to the death? When does civility leave a verbal disagreement? When does discussion become strategic movement on a battlefield?  When the talk turns from the topic at hand to the people who cannot agree. When we shift the talk to you and me. When differences in perspective are weaponized to then hurt and harm in an ad hominem attack made personal. When a person's integrity is questioned because of a different perspective, it's another conversation, apart from the start, and meant to weaken the other. You don't accept all the assumptions of global warming? You're anti-science! You don't agree with critical race theory? You're a racist! You don't agree that male and female bodies competing is fair to anyone? Then, you're anti-LGBT! Debating enters the Octagon when we forget our own decency in order to condemn others for their opinions. Discussion goes off the rails when one is willing for dialogue to crash and bu...

(Opinion) It's a ridiculous show in Congress, as several larger truths emerge. The Republicans are a mess. The glaring absence of responsible leadership is all too obvious. Plainly stated but true, establishment McCarthy represents weakness and the past. So, the pushback against him isn't surprising. Donald Trump's ignored endorsement strongly suggests his clout within the party is history, if the mixed bag in the mid-term election didn't also confirm it. Hershel Walker lost against a weak opponent.  The Trump Era is over with, and now the party has an identity crisis.  Both Democrats and Republicans have been in serious  combat with their fringe members. But, both parties also continue to harbor and uplift truly slimy weasel types like Green and Shiff and Goetz- there are so many moral lowlifes in public office, few are actually honest or honorable. The Speaker fight will soon resolve with an eventual winner, likely McCarthy, which won't end the chaos. The bruised ...

CNN, tell the truth for once. Team Biden and the UN cowards abandoned Afghan women to the Taliban's tyranny. Today we see the ruthless, corrupt Taliban thugs summarily decree that all universities are now closed to women, effective immediately. Thanks to foolishly callous Biden policy, a disastrous exit leaving behind everything the medieval tyrants needed to dominate the Afghani population and culture, while lying about promises to reform. Even some sober Democrats warned that this is exactly what will happen to women's rights in the region. Meanwhile, the Communist regime that rules China loved the US withdrawal and Taliban takeover.  Incompetent and Beijing compromised Biden- along with the socialist stooges in the UN- have facilitated the death of hope and opportunity for Afghani women and girls. Millions upon millions, after a decade of light and freedom, shoved back into the bleak darkness of fear and sorrow. History will shame these heartless actions, and those who looke...

Jews own..." Without all the predictable feathers getting re-ruffled, let's recall again that Marlon Brando said so in an interview, and got tons of pushback about it. More recently-- and, full disclosure here, I'm a big fan-- Dave Chappelle also said it in a different form, both humorous and generally truthful. There ARE a lot of Jewish folks in Hollywood. Considering it was also the movie town's origins, and still today about 25% of Hollywood execs are Jewish. With only 2% of the U.S. population being Jewish, Chappelle's harmless, funny jokes have some factual context. But, his routine doesn't include the historical record of how and why Jewish folks were mostly employed in certain fields and jobs. His stage act isn't meant to include the reasons Jews were forced into certain professions, while strictly excluded from others. But, through humor, Chappelle also includes the humanity of every group he jokes about, and includes all groups. So, then why is it ...

Numbers don't lie, unless they're misrepresented to do so. Ratings for news networks are fairly straightforward. While not always revealing why, the ratings do accurately reflect who's watching what, and when. So, why then are so many Democrats and Independents watching FOX, instead of CNN. The progressive network started by visionary media icon Ted Turner has posted very dismal, bottom-of-the-barrel ratings for many years, up to the present. Even a recent change in leadership hasn't helped so far. For instance, the latest CNN subtlety is to malign Elon Musk under the guise of loaded headlines. Like "Racism on the rise since Musk bought Twitter." So, CNN associates in viewers minds the two words racism and Musk. Watch for it, the anti-Musk campaign is almost daily now on the network. You'd think they'd stop that kind of subconscious nonsense and consciously notice their serious decline in audience.  Certainly FOX slants to the right of center. In fact,...

Midterm malaise. America remains schizoid in character, cleaved down the middle by a bizarrely cruel political blood sport, and with no clear winners, certainly not the voters.  Both parties continue to crassly discourage any chances for solutions or collaboration. Both parties promise, and lie, and deny any responsibility for the current mess. Trump continues as America's #1 ugly enigma, as capable as he is dispicable. You can't find his 2.0 because there is none. He remains colossally one-dimensional. It's still the Brand Trump thing, 24/7, no exceptions. Nothing, not a single thought gets around that filter. Trump's personality should lose him the election every time, and will again. But, his many achievements in one term were impressively realized, and while getting jobbed by his political and media enemies on largely phony claims of his alleged wrongdoing. Trump was a hero for Israel, while the world's tyrants could neither predict nor dismiss him. Energy indep...

Don't expect more than anguished rambling here, I have no answers to the biggest problems. Obviously, something is very bad, very wrong, very sick about our American culture and society. Never in our past has there been school rooms full of children shot to death. Every weekend in the cities hundreds are killed or injured. Suicide is at an all-time high, as are drug overdoses. Depression is epidemic, anxiety medications are by far the biggest sellers. Most Americans are overweight, diabetes and heart disease are rampant. A majority of marriages in America fail over time, a fewer number prevail. Fewer couples are even bothering to marry.  Generations of children have virtually no father in their daily life. Fewer than ever before even believe there is a Higher Power.  Day and night, American mainstream media is chock full of entertained hating, identity politics drama and division, cold and ugly elitism, and staged, unquenchable materialism.  Folks are determined to buy th...

Violence would be first and last. Made, marketed, and consumed. Listing what is wrong with US life and culture in 2022 is much like pinning the tail on the proverbial donkey, you can't miss, there's so much screwed up crazy in every direction, to summarize our society's more profane tastes and ills into two wide columns: over-expressed and over-exposed. Nowhere left to go. Once you've screeched  off your generalized angst against the universe, or gravity, or the rich, or whatever, you come to realize no one is really listening anyway. Once you've twerked it out at the boss's party, then only twerking naked is left to try, thoughtless explicitness and garrish public exhibits render our imagination obsolete, no chance to envision it, too late, there it is in the flesh, in the real, skip the negligee, forget the foreplay, that's for folks who believe the myths of timeless romance, because only suckers don't know that life is too short for the long con, get ...

Sure, I'm getting old, and that may partially explain why music today typically sounds like "that same song." I intentionally use that phrase to annoy my teenage son when he has some tune playing in the house. "No, that's not the same song, dad, you just don't know the music!"  Okay, maybe not, what do I know about it? I grew up listening to James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Beatles, Cream, The Band, please! Don't try to talk about originality, none of my old favorite musicians ever sounded alike! Everyone actually wanted their own style and sound, imagine that!  Hendrix wasn't Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin wasn't the Stones, Bill Withers wasn't David Bowie. Chaka Khan wasn't Joni Mitchell, and you so loved them all for their unique, inimacable styles. All the artists created their music to set apart from the rest, to develop a brand based on unfettered originality and innovation. The worst, most embarrassing thing was to be criticized for sou...

It does rhyme with a certain carrion consuming creature that's not on any favorites list. How do you measure the hot temper of this culture without using biased instruments of comparing that lack realtime relevance-- or, do we measure? Is there reason to care? Is culture always moving away from conformity by its nature? Is culture just keen illusion of savvy marketing, asshat brainwashing media platforms that lie with a barcode, and spin with a whim. Any given day you can count on being tricked by invisible blips of subliminal crap tuned to make you use more, spend, crave, also worry more.  Then, culture is just a business? Nothing personal? You're never alone but never caught up with the latest whatever it is that a few have already seen, then tossed aside. Meaning that, culture is a pointless ride? Or, a rude board game only the wealthiest play?  How do you feel hearing infants curse like drunken fools, and seeing kids flash gang signs, or twerk to a stripper's bass beat?...

(Opinion) The purchase of the recently declining Twitter platform by the world's richest person has the massive company's hard Left leaders shocked, dismayed, and dusting off their resumes. I'm wondering why.  Consider the buyer. Space X and Tesla's Elon Musk has already done some super great and benevolent stuff to improve the lives of millions of folks around the world. His tenacious independence, personal generosity, future vision, and uncanny ability to assemble stellar teams of achieving leaders is unprecedented and remarkable. So, exactly how is Musk bad news, and for who? If the Twitter leadership is dedicated to the core value of free speech in the public discourse, operating a platform that essentially represents the national town square, why are some folks panicked with worry? If Twitter leaders strive for an objective, fair, and open culture that encourages voices from all views and perspectives of social topics, what's the big concern?  But, this is the ...

It only takes a squabble turned to brawl, then a collosal and unexpected knockout to create a new national question and meme: why is the suddenly panicked Left so frightened of energetic billionaire Elon Musk? Everyone has their own theory. Maybe the answer is about him. Could it be Musk is everything the Left detests? For instance, he's quirky, and certainly hard to predict on substantive issues. Musk isn't reticent about being crafty, illusive, and enigmatic. The Left hates those attributes since they're not controllable. Musk has a resilient, uncanny self-confidence. Consider the massive scale of endeavors he is successfully moving forward. Multiple projects of cutting edge technology and high wire risk taking, with no guarantees about crashing down via the hard gravity of failure. Musk also demonstrates confidence in his teams of leaders and managers. He has built it all. The Left moans and shudders in the presence of self-confidence based on virtuous goals, or doing go...

(Opinion) Ukraine Invasion and Media Bias I didn't and still don't like him either. Everything that is disgusting and repugnant about his character and personality is abhorrent to me also. I could be talking about either dopey Trump or Beijing Biden. Or, both. But, whatever you feel and believe about Trump, facts are facts. CNN and a grossly biased mainstream media are lying about this war and recent history. My own shorthand to where we are:  Years ago, during weak Obama policy, Putin invaded the Ukraine, annexed the Crimea areas, and went back to Moscow. Why? He could not invade all of Ukraine because Russia's oil and gas lines to Germany and europe- major buyers- went right thru the center of Ukraine. Destroying the country with invasion would have cut off Russia's big $$ critical revenue.  So, Putin starts building a new undersea pipeline to Germany. Senator Cruz and others successfully passed thru both sides of Congress a BIPARTISAN bill creating heavy Russia sanct...

(https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/politics/us-census-2020-data/index.html)  Here's what one of most brazen propagandist networks, CNN, does even in spite of their own positive diversity headline. They CAN'T STOP talking about racial conflict, only if the story fits the narrative. "Analysis: Is it time for Democrats to write off working-class White voters?" "There are now 7 states and territories where the non-Hispanic White share of the population is below 50%" "New study reveals deep divide in how Americans view the nation's progress toward racial equality." Ratings and Race monger CNN uses two main headlines to try to reverse their freefall ranking, but the topics- Trump and Race- aren't helping them at all. America is more diverse than ever. Let that sink in. It can only happen in a socially successful country. Daily, Americans are needlessly inflamed by irresponsible media who are quick to manipulate and distort to their corporate calcula...

(Opinion) Politics is the shiny, empty suit worn by self-serving scoundrels to service their campaign donor's agenda, and secure re-election. Taxpayers are the suckers in this shell game of false values, and no real problem-solving goals or moral high ground is established. America and the blessed dream of liberty for a free people swiftly disappears with a too-powerful media forcing the optics of deceitful distortion. What to believe now when the payroll partisan 'fact checkers' protect the biggest lies, controlled airwaves equals controlled minds. Watch and hear now with critical eye and ear because the enemies of freedom are already here, executing a calculated plan. Do you want Beijing Biden and his WH proppers to conclude what is 'true' and 'untrue' speech? Not me. The First Amendment is really all we, The People, still have. But, tyranny's evil, godless globalism looms to take control.

(Opinion) The Californicating of American culture continues. We have so morally confused ourselves, and virtue signalled our way to becoming a sanctuary also for hard criminals, scoundrels, and allies to evil. Simply emptying prisons is no solution. That policy guarantees more victims, as we are seeing in most major crime stats rising, after long-trending declines.  How is it progressive for crime to explode, and respect for authority now a laughing matter? Routine shoplifting is totally ignored today. In my state, up to $900 of theft is not prosecuted, and law enforcement has well publicized this crazy, wrong-headed policy.  So, home invasions, armed robberies, rape, weapons charges, and common assault are also featuring a brazen, no-worries boldness that is unprecedented.  Meanwhile, good cops everywhere, vilified by a profane media and irrational, crime-enabling de-funding, are just giving up to early retirement. Along with demonstrations and very selective media cover...

The meltdown continues for good reason. Folks figured out CNN is the least dependable among scoundrels. CNN is now the sixth-rated cable network in prime time, behind Fox News, MSNBC, HGTV, the Hallmark Channel, and the History Channel. Cartoon Channel- my favorite when I used to watch TV- is now a CNN rival, which somehow seems right.😄

These maybe the Last Days of high deceit, bought-sold values, big media wink-nod foreign pay-to-play money arriving on massive foggy midnight barges of stealth and growing influence. Phony, self-labeled fact-checkers with partisan orders from their corporate payers, be wary of especially the dubious expert, pundit, analyst, research reporter, anonymous or unnamed source, content police, and cancellers disguised as informed authority, they are all propagandists for evil. Your common sense is your boss, the source, and trusted partner. Media is the driver of cultural corrosion, stoked division, and daily disorder of national spirit, like a constant inflammation thru fear-baiting headlines of doom.

https://www.facebook.com/100002074481530/posts/4110962868982822/ (Repost from three years ago.) This isn't fact-based news, just an opinion essay. That's also what this is about: news and non-news. By now, we all know dopey Trump's redundantly self-serving term. The problem with his sandbox campaign construct- a go-to narrative used to dodge responsibility from his own words or deeds- is that there IS a type of fake news in play, and easily identifiable on both sides. While truth-challenged Trump over-uses his term any time reporters ask any question, fake news today is regretfully real. The specific problem I have with NPR, ABC/CBS/NBC, CNN, and FOX News networks: it has become nearly impossible to differentiate between alledged news reporting, and a network's respective political spinning.  It's ALL opinion now, the way news is headlined, framed, and presented. So, I believe journalism in America has radically and drastically changed, the line between fact and spi...

The Loaded Question fallacy has become the standard format for too many fake news reporters. Closely related to the predictable "gotcha" hacks who believe journalism is about trapping the subject after setting the bait. Unfortunately, too many celebrity reporters today make themselves the story- jarringly confirming their own bias over fair and professional codes of conduct. An example of a weaponized loaded question is the always camera-loving Jim Acosta asking a former President "If he'll apologize to the American people for the pandemic?" The Loaded Question always makes a statement first, before any query. For more comically frequent daily examples, check out last-in-ratings CNN's dopey headers. They ALL make a statement, even the headlines not marked "analysis", i.e., just some partisan's skewed opinion.

The Belief Bias is so common to most of us on occasion, it's another one to be vigilant about, both with others and ourselves. It basically involves accepting a conclusion, and ignoring more critical measuring, blindly based on your pre-existing perspective. We love our own opinions on everything, usually too much, so we're reinforcing them all the time instead of re-examining their origin and current relevance. If we already feel a certain way, similar conclusions are embraced easily, and challenged far less. The Belief Bias can easily lead astray, and away from what is true or more accurate. Each situation is best evaluated with some awareness of this nearly universal and ubiquitous bias.  

Strawman arguments are really a distraction technique, a shiny object to direct attention away from other matters or issues. This disingenuous ploy attempts to mischaracterize an opponent's position. It's basically an ugly lie. Or, a strawman argument often answers a question no one has asked, or passionately defends against a position no one's taken. This verbal card trick is meant to confuse and obfuscate the truth. A simple example would be a pundit declaring "The other party won't decide for all of us how much cancer is acceptable!", in a debate about health care funding sources. The demagogue statement creates a bogey man just to knock down. The strawman argument and fallacy is a cheap rhetorical stunt, often tried by weaker or losing debaters.  

(Opinion) American parents of all backgrounds oppose the abuse of their childrens' minds thru openly Marxist ideology. This includes the morally unqualified Critical Race Theory, a branch of general Critical Theory- attacking a society's institutions as the first step to overthrowing those in power. It's uncloaked, hiding in plain sight extremist doctrine in our schools. Parents oppose CRT because it's factually wrong, categorically false, and also abusive to young minds and childrens' self-identity. Growing numbers of parents of color oppose CRT, it's not some privileged concern. American immigrants from totalitarian regimes recognize familiar evils of state manipulation, cancelling, and censoring.. Racial awareness, the historical value of social justice are best taught without identity politics as a driver to even more division thru labeling, generating more mistrust among Americans, and more intentional conflict. CRT is not education. It's indoctrination...

https://nypost.com/2021/06/12/my-top-10-media-lies-goodwin/

How much should we trust our own  government and media? Not a whole bunch. And, that is by brilliant design.  Our uncannily wise Founders intrinsically trusted gov't so little, the 2nd Amendment comes right after our most precious 1st. This order of ideas always makes me smile. As John Adams noted, power is always suspect and monitored. A people- so valuing those most basic human rights granted by God, will only live if living free. A people who value the bounty of life over the tyranny of false rule. A people who may die defending their autonomy.  An American people, blessed with the courage of democracy, honed by the harsh reality of fear, or humiliating loss of self-destiny, trained by the long suffering of bondage, an extraordinary people, yet no different than you and me.

Do political independents and conservatives have to run against their opponents AND media? While CNN and most of main-scream sensational coverage just seems to repeat the news day's chosen and distributed talking points ? The blatantly false crusades from the race and fear hustlers in the media/Democratic Party point to self-made straw men narratives, cravenly blind fallacies, and template partisan bias. In fact, in spite of the inflamed daily rhetoric, votes are not being suppressed. White supremacy is not America's #1 threat. The Republic is not in imminent danger. It's textbook, banner headline, fear-signaling hogwash. In fact, it is not about race at all, the networks' #1, time-proven go-to ratings spiker. It is about global totalitarian dominance. These communist monsters are the regime controlling China. I'm hating them precisely the same if they're Russian, Cuban, North Korean, American, or terrorist Mullah. It's faithless communists and othe...

The last President- among other lacks justified or unjustified, fates rendered or over-focused, brand myth myopics driven, reflexively spinning his own narratives. Yet, it's beyond debate that hard evidence now proves that the mainstream networks conspired and colluded to undermine the Republican Party and their leader. The media elected itself the big influencer and D.C. king-maker because it simply could; it's just that monster powerful now, add  Google, Twitter, Facebook,  Microsoft, Instagram, YouTube, Yahoo, Netflix, Disney, Hulu, Apple, Associated Press, NY Times, Ebay, Hollywood, Harvard, Yale, and Amazon. Overwhelming, culture-wide control of message. They can try to hide away the busy billionaires, hedge funds, and fundraisers, but the Left is clearly the Big Money player today- the ubiquitous platforms drive the content as mega-major definers.  Republicans have Fox and Newsmax, and syndicated radio. Top management programming strategy outlined a daily narr...

Groupthink is an intensely personal, complicated bias everyone experiences, from playground to workplace to burial ground. We're always group beings. "No man is an island" John Donne writes, and the big movie, Ten Angry Men effectively examines dynamics in groups of compelling pressured outcomes. Independent thinking can be extremely stressful. Groups may affect good judgement, be wary.

Slippery Slope is a common fallacy that has its own momentum, often based on fear. Arguments that declare how if A happens, then Z will happen are self-defining, weak thru unproven assuming, and often articulating a dreaded result far from likely. For example since, oh, let's say always, many dopey backward men thought that recognizing women's rights would be a slippery slope towards female dominance. Of course, some slippery slopes may be true. 😎

Appeal to Emotion: this is a viscerally motivated fallacy, where an attempt is made to persuade opinion by stressing feelings over rational facts, or logical analysis. Emotion over reason can be a gripping ploy to distract away from critical details. The mainstream media at this 2021 moment in time is framing their coverage of the Israeli and Palestinian fighting to subtly suggest the suffering is all in Gaza. There is an appeal for mercy and empathy, but certain contextual facts are absent: IDF pre-announces and notifies its action to minimize civilian injury. And this warning is done after the Hamas staging of missile launchers from homes, hospitals, scools, and mosques. Be wary of appeals to emotion that purposefully omit big picture facts, this fallacy is used by all.

Halo Effect is another example of a nearly universal bias we all have in so many different situations, almost any time a likeable person influences us. Our judgment may be impaired if we like someone too much to be truly objective. This can be disastrous, if major decisions or choices aren't analyzed accurately. Agreement without exception may also be a time to reflect, perhaps reassess. Everyone likes a swindler, at first.

Fair World Bias A good bias to start with as most of us have this one by nature. We want to think there is a goodness and fairness directing the universe. A just God is in charge. We believe in a just world, but reality contradicts this bias every time bad things occur to the undeserving. It's scarier to consider that the world isn't as fair as we may imagine. It's debated, but there is no (satisfactory) biblical, philosophical or rational explanation for why evil is allowed. All witness inconsistent 'karma" when bad guys hurt good folks so often. The bias is understandable, still distorting. The fallacy that our noble actions always produce noble results may lead to disillusioned ideals, confusion, or loss of positivity. We may want a just world, as we also understand human fallacy.

Ad Hominem Latin for "to the person", this fallacy involves a focus on the individual, irrelevant to opinions expressed. In media and debate, ad hominem attacks are often used as distractions meant to divert attention from a losing opinion or perspective.  Ad hominem example: A family member mentions "exploding" Covid stats during a CNN segment on the virus. You mention the fact that media can distort virus coverage by using stats without also providing all-important context. Your relative instantly becomes hysterical, then accuses you of being a brainwashed Breitbart white supremacist. The topic went from media and stats to you personally. That is ad hominem.

Critical Thinking Identify the problem or question.  Gather data, opinions, and arguments.  Analyze and evaluate the data. Identify assumptions. Establish significance. Make a decision/reach a conclusion.