Paper Soldiers (Straw Man)

The straw man fallacy involves misrepresenting, exaggerating, or distorting someone’s position so it’s easier to refute. Instead of engaging with the true argument, a caricature or extreme version is attacked—for instance, responding to “We should regulate plastic bags” with “You want to ban all bags.” This tactic is common in debate as it gives a false sense of victory but ultimately distracts from the actual issue. ‘Paper Soldiers (Straw Man)’ expresses this concept through vivid images of false targets built and destroyed, musical passages that weave and twist just like the arguments, and lyrics describing the superficial battles fought over arguments that never truly existed.

Singer

Tools

Lyrics

      
Words woven from brittle threads,
Arguments twisted by zealous hands,
They build false effigies in shifting sand.
Challenged not the honest claim,
Their target shaped by empty blame.
Raise the paper soldiers high—
Defeat what never stood nearby.
Truth buried in the shouts,
Silence drowns what’s left of doubt.
A broken reflection in the flame,
Intentions lost—no justice claimed,
A tale retold without a name.
Raise the paper soldiers high—
Defeat what never stood nearby.
Truth buried in the shouts,
Silence drowns what’s left of doubt.
Attack the shadow, break the straw—
Find the voice you never saw.