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term..."So You..." in your posts...fits you to a "T"...btw, "Straw Man" and "Disingenuous" go hand in hand..

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AI Overview
A straw man is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone distorts, exaggerates, or oversimplifies an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack. Instead of addressing the actual position held by their adversary, the person creates a "straw man"—a weakened or inaccurate caricature of the original argument—and then refutes that fake version to create the illusion of victory.

How the Straw Man Argument Works
The fallacy typically follows a three-stage structure:
Person A states position X.
Person B presents a distorted, extreme, or oversimplified version of that position (position Y).
Person B attacks position Y and acts as if they have successfully refuted Person A's original argument (position X).

Common Techniques
Arguer often use these methods to build a straw man:
Oversimplification: Reducing a complex, nuanced issue into a simple, black-and-white choice.
Exaggeration: Taking a reasonable claim and pushing it to an absurd extreme.
Taking Out of Context: Quoting specific words but ignoring the surrounding intent to change their meaning.
Fabrication: Attributing a claim or belief to an opponent that they never actually made.
Fringe Selection: Highlighting the most extreme or non-representative members of a group and parading them as typical of the entire group (sometimes called "nutpicking").

Examples of Straw Man Arguments
Original Position Straw Man Response The Distortion
"We should increase funding for public education." "Why do you want to throw unlimited money at schools and bankrupt the country?" Exaggerates "more funding" into "unlimited money" and "bankruptcy."
"I think we should regulate the use of plastic bags." "So you want to ban all plastic bags and make it impossible to carry things?" Turns "regulation" into a "complete ban."
"We should add more security cameras due to recent thefts." "So you're saying you don't trust any of your neighbors?" Shifts the focus from "security" to "personal distrust."
Origins and Etymology
The term is derived from the idea of a scarecrow or a military training dummy made of straw. These figures are inanimate, defenseless, and easy to knock down, much like a misrepresented argument.

Historical Use: While the concept of misrepresenting arguments was noted by Aristotle as far back as the 300s B.C.E., the specific name "straw man" was not formally recognized in textbooks as a fallacy until the mid-20th century, notably in Stuart Chase’s Guides to Straight Thinking (1956).
Early References: Martin Luther used the imagery in 1520, accusing his critics of setting up a "man of straw" to attack rather than engaging with his actual views on the Eucharist.

Related Terms
Hollow Man: A complete fabrication where an arguer invents a non-existent opponent and a non-existent viewpoint to attack.
Iron Man: Distorting one's own stance to make it easier to defend, often using vague terms or jargon.
Steel Man: The opposite of a straw man; it involves presenting an opponent's argument in its strongest possible form before attempting to refute it.
Red Herring: A broader category of diversionary tactics; while a straw man specifically misrepresents an argument, a red herring simply tries to change the subject.
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