False equivalence

A false equivalence or false equivalency is an informal fallacy (argument that does not make sense) in which two things are said to be equal but they are not. This fallacy is a type of fallacy of inconsistency. In everyday language, a false equivalence is often called "comparing apples and oranges."

This fallacy is used when one shared trait between two things is assumed to show that the things are equal, especially in extent, when the things are not necessarily equal. False equivalence is common when an anecdotal similarity is said to be equal, but the claim does not survive scrutiny because the similarity is based on seeing the things as too simple or forgetting other factors. The pattern of the fallacy is often as such:

If A is the set containing c and d, and B is the set containing d and e, then since they both contain d, A and B are equal.

In a version that makes even less sense, d is not required to be in both sets; merely a similarity of two items d₁ in set A and d₂ in set B is said to show that things in the sets are equal. Example:

If apples and oranges are both fruits, and there are seeds in both apples and oranges, then since they both have seeds, apples and oranges are equal.

False equivalence arguments are often used in journalism and in politics, where bad traits of one politician may be compared to bad traits of a completely different type of another politician. Thomas Patterson of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University wrote about the false equivalency used by the media during the 2016 United States presidential election:

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.

In simple words and grammar, this means:

False equivalencies are developing on a big scale. This is because of constantly negative news. If everything and everyone is shown as bad, they look equal. This invites liars. The press used to help people tell the difference between honest politicians and liars. Today's news makes it difficult to tell them apart.