To Coin a Term, “the Escalator Treatment”

The Escalator Treatment
To “give someone the escalator treatment” is to participate in a dishonest debating strategy wherein the “escalator” floods the debate with fallacious, dishonest, or blatantly false claims faster than his or her opponent can refute them.

No matter how skilled or fast the opponent is, it will take more time and energy to deal with the lies than it will for the escalator to bring them to the table. Thus, the escalator strategy can be a nearly surefire way to beat an opponent who is more competent than yourself.

Since progress against the rising flood of falsehoods quickly becomes impossible the victim is essentially “running up the down escalator.” Hence, the name.

2 Responses to “To Coin a Term, “the Escalator Treatment””

  1. scaryreasoner Says:

    Like the “Gish gallop.” (google it).

  2. Abyssal Says:

    Duane Gish was who I had in mind. :)

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