moblogicscreen.jpgIn this episode of MobLogic.tv one of the interviewees says that due process in the law should take a backseat to “going out to find bad guys and kill them.”

This is a small example that represents why I dislike the phrase “the bad guys” when used in a logical (often political) argument. “The bad guys” is an allusion to the black-and-white nature of comic book characters, like Superman (the epitome of all that is good and moral) battling against Lex Luthor (the irrationally evil bad guy). In general, I prefer Japanese comics to American comics, because Japanese comics rarely use the stark “good vs bad” plot device.

Though it would be easier to believe otherwise, the bad guys don’t exist in real life. When someone resorts to the “the bad guys” generalization, it is a failure to comprehend other peoples’ motivations.