"You are either WITH US, or AGAINIST US"

[Rambard]

Well look at it this way. You aren't WITH them because you didn't vote for them. Then, in a sense, you are AGAINST them because you haven't contributed to their efforts to become elected and could in the future actively choose to not be with them rather than just passively so. All subjects can be looked at in such a way.

[Catta]

It's got nothing to do with the outcome. Why does my choice not to care/vote magically mean that I support one side or the other?

because spoiler effect?

[Ynna]

It's got nothing to do with the outcome. Why does my choice not to care/vote magically mean that I support one side or the other?

It doesn't always. In some cases it does.
It does have to do with the outcome.
Keeping the former example.

You speak out against gay marriage --> Gay marriage doesn't happen.
You speak out in favor of gay marriage --> Gay marriage happens.
You do nothing --> Gay marriage doesn't happen.

This is obviously a huge simplification that isn't perfectly true on an individual scale.

But if the outcome is a dichotomy, doing nothing is the same as fighting against it.

[Powerogue]

such a fun little logical fallacy, reducing a complicated issue to only two choices. I forget the actual name of it though.

works even better if the person subjected to it is under stress.

and of course that level of zealotry doesn't help anyone. This variety in particular is just loved by warring countries.