Reductio Ad Orwellium

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Reductio Ad Orwellium is similar to Godwin's Law in that it makes a comparison to a bad system in order to drive home a point, regardless of its validity.

Its name is a reference to the habit many people, mainly online, have, of invoking George Orwell's works, especially Nineteen eighty-four, in order to compare their opponent's views with the views portrayed in the book. The term applies especially when such a comparison is not valid.

Some forum posters refer to "Reductio Ad Orwellium" as DoubleplusGodwin's Law, in a humorous reference to the possibility of a reference to 1984 approaching 1 as a political discussion goes by. Other people from forums refer to it as Lucas' Law, in a reference to who may have been the first person to coin the term.

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