It is important to know and understand the fallacies because they stop the media from brainwashing you, so if you know what they are, you are better prepared not to fall into the trap that the media has decided to captivate the minds of those who don't know any better. For example, if a politician tries to argue for restricting gun control and brings up a case where in Australia there are no gun restrictions and violence was committed. You will know that this is not a valid argument because it is illogical to think that just because something is true in one country does not mean it will be true in another country. So, just because crime has fallen in Australia, crime will also fall in the United States; they are two completely different countries with very little in common. Trying to prove that this is a logical argument is like trying to prove that birds and fish are related. Knowing what a bad raise is is just as important as knowing what makes a raise good, because you'll know when someone is trying to cheat someone.