CBC Listen50%
American military historian says hubris leads to failed campaigns, from Vietnam to Iran 95%
By Monica Toft0%
5/15/2026, 12:00:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 8 faulty reasoning types, including Anchoring Bias, Representativeness Heuristic, and Pessimism Bias, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 100% saturation with 80 hits. Analysis detected 441 faulty-reasoning hits from 80 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 91.9% and a BS Rank of 95% (936 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 94.40% of the article peer group.
After 11 weeks of fighting, it’s not at all clear how the United States and Israel’s war against Iran will be resolved and American military historian Monica Toft says Iran is beginning to look like part of a pattern dating back to the Vietnam war, in which powerful countries overestimate their military capacity and fail to anticipate what their adversaries will do to level the playing field.
Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
41.9%PublicationCBC
2.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
83.8%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
83.8%AuthorMonica Toft
20.9%PublicationCBC
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
0%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
20.9%PublicationCBC
3.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
83.8%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
83.8%AuthorMonica Toft
41.9%PublicationCBC
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
20.9%PublicationCBC
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
20.9%PublicationCBC
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
16.3%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
16.3%AuthorMonica Toft
4.1%PublicationCBC
4.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
83.8%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
83.8%AuthorMonica Toft
20.9%PublicationCBC
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
0%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
4.1%PublicationCBC
5.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
3.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
100%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
100%AuthorMonica Toft
50%PublicationCBC
3.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
83.8%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
83.8%AuthorMonica Toft
91.9%PublicationCBC
4.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
4.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
0%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
20.9%PublicationCBC
2.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
0%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
3.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
0%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
83.8%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
83.8%AuthorMonica Toft
20.9%PublicationCBC
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
16.3%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
16.3%AuthorMonica Toft
4.1%PublicationCBC
4.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
2.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
0%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMonica Toft
0%PublicationCBC
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
80 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.