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False equivalence is a rhetorical device
So, here's a definition of 'false equivalence' I lazily found online and we'll see what it says and also whether there's some English the spin of the definition that reveals if the definition already comes with baggage. Things such as "science is logical, religion is anachronistic and God is an imaginary sky daddy." Let's see what we find. Who owns the heart and mind of the phrase false equivalence?
Wikipedia: "False equivalence is a logical fallacy in which an equivalence is drawn between two subjects based on flawed or false reasoning. This fallacy is categorized as a fallacy of inconsistency. A colloquial expression of false equivalency is "comparing apples and oranges."
Thomas Patterson of the Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard University, "False equivalencies are developing on a grand scale as a result of relentlessly negative news. If everything and everyone is portrayed negatively, there's a leveling effect that opens the door to charlatans. The press historically has helped citizens recognize the difference between the earnest politician and the pretender. Today's news coverage blurs the distinction."
One of the false equivalence that Wikipedia uses is:
"both Jesus Christ and Adolph Hitler have mustaches, but that does not make them the same" and "The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is no more harmful than when your neighbor drips some oil on the ground when changing his car's oil."
Those are very clear. It's less clear to me when I readily compare the violence perpetuated by the extreme left, in the form of so-called Antifa with the extreme right, in the form of, let's say, activist militias. To me, true believers—not the faithful, necessarily—are almost always dangerous and disruptive to entire systems. And, since they're so passionate and zealous about the changes that they desire to massage into reality, they're almost always willing to follow the most dangerous tenet, as beautifully written and spoken by Malcolm X:
"We declare our right on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary."
To me, this amazing line in the sand can easily be adopted by any extremists because the above quote can be adopted by the left as easily as it can the right, the strong black descendant of slavery as readily as it can be used to fuel the passions of white men who march through town calling "you will not replace us" in unison.
Everyone has their own narrative and, as I always say, nobody sees Hitler in their own reflection in a mirror—not even Hitler.