Not All Slopes are Slippery

Why Misunderstanding Fallacies Is Helping Fascism Take Root

Written by Rebecca M. Bell

The Bell Rings 🔔

@rmbellwrites

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*Caution: Not All Slopes are Slippery*

They love to shout “slippery slope!” the moment anyone dares to draw parallels between now and the 1930s.

But here’s the problem: most people don’t actually know what a slippery slope fallacy is—or what it isn’t.

And in that misunderstanding, something dangerous happens.

Historical awareness gets mislabeled as paranoia.

Logic gets misrepresented.

And the slow crawl of authoritarianism keeps its cover intact.

What Is a Slippery

Slope Fallacy? ⛷️

Let’s get clear: a slippery slope fallacy is a logical error.

It happens when someone claims that one small step will inevitably lead to a chain of events ending in catastrophe—with no evidence to support that progression. It’s fear-based logic.

“If we legalize this, next thing you know, society collapses.”

That’s a slippery slope.

Not because it’s dramatic—but because it’s unsupported. It assumes causation where none is proven.

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What’s Not a Fallacy? 🤔

Recognizing a Pattern. 🧬

When people (myself included) point out similarities between today’s America and pre-WWII Germany, we’re not falling for a slippery slope—we’re citing precedent.

We’re identifying patterns.

And those patterns aren’t just similar—they’re often eerily precise:

• The vilification of the press

• The scapegoating of minorities

• The expansion of surveillance

• The normalization of cruelty

• The slow erosion of civil rights, one legal policy at a time

Sound familiar?

This isn’t unfounded fear. This is history on repeat.

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The Danger of Mislabeling ☢️☠️⚠️💣

When MAGA supporters or casual contrarians label these observations as “slippery slope fallacies,” they’re not engaging in critical thinking—they’re weaponizing misunderstanding.

They’re confusing logical structure with emotional discomfort.

And in doing so, they shut down conversations that demand to be had. They derail accountability. They numb the public to very real warning signs—because if everything’s just a fallacy, nothing is ever urgent.

But history tells a different story. And that story doesn’t wait for everyone to catch up.

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Literacy Is Resistance 📚📓📖💭

If you take anything from this article, let it be this:

A fallacy is a failure of logic.

A warning grounded in history is not a fallacy:

It is survival instinct.

The past doesn’t repeat itself exactly, but it rhymes.

And right now? The rhyme scheme is getting louder.

We need to stop shouting “slippery slope” every time someone sounds the alarm.

Instead, we need to listen.

We need to learn.

And we need to act before the slope gets steeper.

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Stay loud. Stay sharp. Stay awake.

—Rebecca M. Bell

The Bell Rings 🔔

📚 @rmbellwrites

P.S. Addendum for the Court Record

(Filed under “Warnings Ignored in Bad Faith v. The People”)

Whereas the defendant, Logic,

did humbly submit Exhibit A:

“Pattern recognition is not

a gateway to hysteria,”

And whereas the prosecution,

known informally as “Facebook Uncle Greg,”

did respond with:

“that’s just a slippery slope, bro,”

Let the record reflect:

The slope was inspected,

The incline was steep,

And the defendant did, in fact,

have several historically-sourced receipts.

Henceforth, we move to adjourn.

Not due to lack of evidence—

but due to the absence

of reason in this courtroom.

So ordered,

—R.M. Bell, Esq. of Common Sense

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💬 Want to Share This?

If you found this article valuable, consider forwarding it to a friend who’s been gaslit into thinking “everything’s fine.”

Because when enough of us recognize the pattern, we can break it.