Why is "liberal" such a dirty word?

[defoliate_bush]

Did anyone watch Inside Politics today? They compared the way the media has portrayed Bush to they way they've protrayed Kerry. They said that the positive for Kerry was that he was tough and the negatives were that he was a "flip-flopper" and "very liberal". I've always been confused as to why "liberal" has been such an insulting word. I think that the word itself is a huge complement, no matter who you are. By definition it is the political and economic philosophy of progression, acceptance, and understanding. What on earth is so bad about that?! Is it better to be un-accepting? Obviously, it is a generational thing. Young voters tend to be more liberal than older voters. The question is-will the new generation continue to vote for the more liberal candidates into future years? Or will we change our minds with age?

[cthrumatrix]

1. brainwashing by the right wing media.... extremism

[NC_Nurse]

2. I think it started with Newt Gingrich and his cohorts

acting like Liberals were to blame for everything including the decline and fall of Western civilization...

[DieboldMustDie]

16. It goes back at least to Spiro Agnew.

You're probably just not old enough to remember him. ;)

[Gruenemann]

31. I remember him!

I've always been a nattering nabob of negativism!

[Warpy]

21. naw, it started during the Reagan years

and may have dated from the Goldwater heyday, you know, as in taxandspendliberal. The real demonization dates from Reagan's reign, though.

How about retaliation? After all, today's self-styled conservatives don't want to conserve anything. Let's call them what they are: CONS
Time for a little payback, don't you think?

[ClassWarrior]

42. RepuliCONs

Calimary came up with RepubliCONs. I think it works nicely.

[calimary]

58. Hey, CW! Can I be a complete pig-dog and repost this?

I posted this awhile back, but will happily revisit it for the benefit of those who are newer here.

There is a DUer known as Class Warrior, who from time to time posts a thread called a MEME MEMO - where we can come and post and discuss and kick around language concepts to REFRAME the debate, and REFRAME the agenda.

This all started, at least for the bad guys, with dear darling newt gangrene - OOPS, I mean gingrich - and his little GOPAC scheme. Along with his (unfortunately) effective organizing efforts and his obnoxious "backbench bomb-thrower" boasts, he also put out this little guidebook to all his minions about how to take over everything. Among his strategies: a vocabulary list - actually two - one of positive words and phrases to use whenever referring to republi-CONS and/or conservatives, and another of negative words and phrases to use whenever referring to Democrats and/or liberals.

His idea was to reframe the debate, in strategic manipulation of the language that would VERY subtly put a positive aroma on all things republi-CON, and a big, bad stench on anything Democrat.

For example: "Tax reform." It's a buzzphrase, or code, for tax cuts mainly for them and theirs. And nothing, ever, is mentioned about WHAT THOSE TAXES ACTUALLY GO TOWARD - THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT, especially to those in need, and things that just basically keep our country going. So, they have fostered a MOST ignorant and ill-informed disconnect, as well as a prejudice against all things TAX. WHEREAS, it should be pointed out that there is a LOT about living in America, and participating in all the wonderful freedoms and other things America offers, that costs money. Like getting your roads paved. Like funding research into conquering AIDS. Like making sure the air traffic controllers are on duty so planes don't fly into each other. Like patrolling our borders. Like funding our national defense. Like PAYING THE SALARIES of all those senators and congresspeople THEY THEMSELVES LIKE, AND their staffs and their drivers and their insurance and their perks and their postage and blah-blah-blah. Some of that tax money (dreadfully, I know) goes toward paying the salaries of their precious bush and cheney and the rest of the cabal. Even THEY would have to admit not all taxes are therefore evil. And even Grover Norquist would yell and scream and stomp his little feet if his garbage wasn't picked up regularly every week! But it's a lot easier to just furnish a lot of easy-to-plug-in words and buzz-phrases to oversimplify things. And it's an easy device for the lemmings out there to pick up and use.

They now issue wholesale talking points in the same way.

SO: I submit we need to do the same thing, but go it one better (because OURS is the truly correct side).

So let's start with the idea of "republi-CON." I submitted this concept as a way to refer to that group of opponents as "republi-CONS" as in CON-JOBS. "republi-CON JOBS" and "republi-CON GAMES" are good as a noun to describe what they do and what they're up to. "republi-CONMEN" and "republi-CONWOMEN" and "republi-CON-ARTISTS" are good descriptive wordings to describe EXACTLY what these people are.

Another way I've submitted for referring to the opponents is to call them the "IGMFU party." "IGMFU" (pronounced IGGum-foo) is an anagram for "I Got Mine, F-U." Because that, in my opinion, superbly and succinctly sums up what the republi-CONS are all about. Even better, there's a touch of humor to it. A point is ALWAYS most effectively delivered when there's a little humor wrapped around it. It's more memorable, pleases the listener because it gives them a chuckle, and leaves a favorable impression, the added benefit of which makes you look clever as hell.

Which brings me to possibly even a more lethal buzzphrase: "The Party of Cain." This is an exquisitely good one to use when fending off religious-right, fundamentalist whacko attack. They know the Bible, correct? (I try NEVER EVER EVER EVER to use the word "right" for ANY reason - it's been totally co-opted, tarnished, twisted, and bastardized.) Let's all remember one of the earliest stories in that beloved Bible of theirs (and many of ours, too, for that matter): that of Cain and Abel. We all know what happened and how it ended. And we all know how Cain responded when God came looking for the suspiciously missing Abel (him, really): "am I my brother's keeper?" My premise here is: if a Democrat were asked that, the answer would be some form of "yes, certainly! We all have to look out for one another, don't we?" If you ask a republi-CON that question, you know what the answer is: "HELL NO! FUCK (or in this day and age, CHENEY) my brother! I've got mine and I'm KEEPING IT! Let him go get his OWN!" Hence: "The Party of Cain."

Because they ARE.

REPETITION IS KEY, though.

This, or other strategic wording, should be used EACH AND EVERY TIME you refer to that party, or the people in it. Enough people doing that, and doing so often enough, will provide the same kind of effective repetition that the limbots and other rush-wannabes of the world push, incessantly, on their dittoheads. After awhile, it can't help but sink in. You may have heard the old adage about how repetition is everything. You repeat something often enough, and it becomes fact. Or truth. Or widely-acknowledged as fitting and proper and relevant. Whether it's good or not. Whether it's true or not. Whether it makes sense or not.

So we need to do that same thing. Eventually OUR memes will sink in and become accepted, systemically, as fact.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY URGENT/ESSENTIAL that we take back our country from these bastards. To do that, we have to take back the agenda. To do THAT, we have to take back the language, and reshape the way that agenda is perceived and understood. Proper, strategic use of language can help promote good vibes and positive reaction and a positive flavor to our viewpoints, ideals, and projects/programs, AND wrap the enemy, and everything they're about, in a nice, subtle stench of negativity. Once you start making all that rush-promotion and Pox "News" crap take on a negative aura, the point's been made, and delivered, right down into the bone marrow. It's unconscious, and subliminal. And it takes root, deep down. THAT'S how we get 'em.

I am so sorry this is long. But there's a lot to share. I know this stuff works. "IGMFU" was an idea my dad came up with, in his heyday as a very successful and clever sales/ad executive. This stuff works. All you have to do is try it, repeat it, and come up with your own versions to try and repeat. And repeat again. If you keep hammering it home, it will BECOME hammered home.

Thank you for suffering through this!

[ClassWarrior]

40. Actually, I think Poppy Bush started it...

...when he was running against Dukakis, along with "card-carrying member of the ACLU." The "Mighty Wurlitzer" took it from there.

[oxymoron]

3. thank Rush and the rest of the "hate radio" gang.

[dukmon]

39. hate rush.................... is see..................

is there any good democratic, or liberal radio stations out there other than NPR? i never can find one. help!

[Trailrider1951]

46. Hi Dukmon!!

:toast: :hi: :hug:

Welcome to the Underground!
You might try Pacifica radio, www.pacifica.org, I think. They have affiliates across the country, maybe one in your area. I listen to KPFT, 90.1 FM in Houston, TX of all places. PBS is just too right-wing for me!:eyes:

[charlyvi]

4. Because uninformed people

tend to resent informed people. Although, if you put the question to people in a certain way; for instance, how do you feel about guaranteed health care for children, the elderly, etc, people tend to agree with it. If you insert the word "liberal" into the mix, they go crazy.

[catzies]

36. That is absolutely true in my experience.

When talking about positions that in general put people before profits, the people that I talk to about them tend to agree on a point-by-point basis, but then will quickly and strongly disagree with the same positions merely by inserting the label "liberal." :shrug:

[onecitizen]

5. Well, I'm pretty old..........

and I'm liberal! Actually, I'm teasing you. I guess I'm middle aged and I see NO scenerio where I would EVER become a CON! NEVER! But I understand what you're saying. If they live long enough, they'll die a Liberal. :-)

Welcome!

[defoliate_bush]

20. Don't get me wrong.

:) I know that everyone over 25 is not a conservative. A lot of people, however, change when they get older. This is usually for economic reasons though. For instance, my dad used to be a liberal, Vietnam-protesting, civil rights advocating cool guy. When he got his law degree, passed the bar, and started making more money, he got way less cool if you know what I mean. I just hope that this doesn't happen to my generation.

[SharonAnn]

24. What's funny is that I went the other way. I was a Republican,

conservative by the standards of the 1960's and 1970's when the rest of my age group seemed to be liberal Democrats.

As I got older (and I like to think, wiser) I saw the GOP go farther and farther to the right. I found that they had lied to us about Vietnam (so did Democrats at first, BTW). I found out how crooked Nixon and his cronies were, so I became suspicious.

Then, when Reagan and his cronies hit my "big 3" issues on the wrong side, I realized that I'm not a conservative Republican. I considered myself Independent for many years but finally realized that I usually vote a solid Democratic ticket.

BTW, my "big 3" issues are:
Environment
Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity for all citizens
Separation of Church and State

So, now I'm an older and wiser liberal Democrat.

[onecitizen]

30. I know what ya mean......

I worry my son may become a Winger. He's on his way to a very successful career and I just worry it will change him. His wife and her family are big time Dems though so I hope she'll keep him grounded. :-) A lot of my friends who protested with me in the 60's are now Wingers. Funny though, I didn't realize it until the Pre-war stuff started. Good news is NOW they see I was right about bush, war, corporate wrong doing and are coming back to their roots.

[dukmon]

43. it will happen to your generation........

now that phish is no longer on tour and they have to work for a living.

really....... im just kidding........ most people would think something like that though.

[DAGDA56]

6. A very literate post, DB...and welcome to DU...

...I don't necessarily agree with the generational thing...if you are in your twenties, I hope you manage to keep your sense of fairness and pride in being a Liberal well into your 40's...as I have.

[madmom]

7. any time any one calls me a liberal....

I counter with calling them or the repugs facists, which is worse?

[BeFree]

8. Liberal is not a dirty word.

Neither is conservative. Who told you it was? Whoever it was, bop 'em up side the head for me.<grin>

[Serenades]

9. It's n

Because we let Republicans define us. They play on people's racism, fears, homophobia, and sexism. Also, they have painted us all as socialists (is this bad?).

Republicans are less evolved than we are. They tend to be very barbaric and primitive. If you notice whenever something happens, Republicans are quick to say "Nuke 'em" Bring 'em on" "Kill 'em all." They are more animalistic. They believe it is ok to keep others "down" as long as their pockets are lined with cash. They have some kind of blind loyalty to this country where they can't see it's faults.

On the other hand, we are more civilized. We tend to want to think things out, solve problems through nonviolence, and we are basically concerned with the improvement of society as a whole instead of the individual. We feel injustice is wrong no matter what. We love our country and want to improve it. We see it's faults and positive aspects.

[kaitykaity]

10. I'm a proud stinking liberal.

Kind of like my car used to have a bumper sticker that
said, "I could be a bitch if I was nicer," and "You call
me a bitch like it's a bad thing."

It's up to us to reclaim our word and tell the conservowacknuts
to go fuck themselves.

[Dangerman]

23. Amen.

Amen to that definitely!

[AlFrankenFan]

11. It's the people who wear the title "liberal" that give it a bad name, not

the beliefs themself that entail.

[noiretextatique]

34. and who exactly would those people be?

these people who made "liberal" such a dirty word. thanks.

[westsidexview]

12. for the right to be "right" it needs a point of reference for what is

"wrong". without the liberals to beat up on, the fat mouths of the right could not pompously prate their hot air. anyway, what does it mean to be a liberal? it has kind of become a conditioned-reponse labeling put-down by people who demogue their way around serious political issues.

[sweetheart]

13. because liberal has come in to conflict with "libertarian" in pracitce

When liberal government was ascendent decades back, it focused on
policies like "busing" and such, that were percieved as limiting
personal liberties rather than expanding them. This created a huge
working class lashback in the 70's that was exploited by whom we
today call "neocons". They used this to create a toxic environment
where the very basis of the foundation of the USA, in the enlightenment, is forgotten for some corporate trash talk.

Liberalism will live on in enclaves of goodwill and education
amongst the walmart poverty of republicanism... small enclaves
that may eventually wither away in to other countries or be imprisoned.... bush's america imprison's more persons per capita
than stalin's USSR... no suprise... how non-liberal fascists can be.

By fucking the libertarians, the liberals fucked themselves.... and
they should have listened. The drugs war should have been dropped
before it was started... but instead, we've encultured a democratic
mediocrity that speak with clinton-vichy forked tongues and further
make "neo-neo-liberism" further a bad term.

Bottom line, dump the empire and the drugs war, or liberalism stinks.

[Trajan]

19. Liberalism promotes neither ....

Where did you get that idea ? ...

[sweetheart]

25. here is that problem of branding

When the "liberal"'s were last in power was the height of civil
rights and such movements back in 70's time... that different
than the abstract term "liberal"... i was speaking to the former
to respond to the question.

You can misread, but perhaps you can also presume i know the
difference and am attempting to make a genuine try at the question
asked of this thread. The jimmy carter, dump nixon, anti-vietnam
era was turned on its ear somehow... and if we're honest about it...

mistakes were made. These have created the opening for them to
brand loosly "liberals" as negative. What is that?

[Scout]

14. I think "liberal" sounds like a great thing to be!

Merriam Webster Online

Main Entry: 1lib·er·al
Pronunciation: 'li-b(&-)r&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin liberalis suitable for a freeman, generous, from liber free; perhaps akin to Old English lEodan to grow, Greek eleutheros free
1 a : of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts <liberal education> b archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth
2 a : marked by generosity : OPENHANDED <a liberal giver> b : given or provided in a generous and openhanded way <a liberal meal> c : AMPLE, FULL
3 obsolete : lacking moral restraint : LICENTIOUS
4 : not literal or strict : LOOSE <a liberal translation>
5 : BROAD-MINDED; especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms
6 a : of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism b capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives
- lib·er·al·ly /-b(&-)r&-lE/ adverb
- lib·er·al·ness noun
synonyms LIBERAL, GENEROUS, BOUNTIFUL, MUNIFICENT mean giving or given freely and unstintingly. LIBERAL suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given <a teacher liberal with her praise>. GENEROUS stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift <a generous offer of help>. BOUNTIFUL suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing <children spoiled by bountiful presents>. MUNIFICENT suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes <a munificent foundation grant>.

[Trajan]

15. I now ask: 'What is wrong with being a Liberal? ... please explain:' ....

Then the stuttering starts ....

"Lazy? " ..... How so ? ... MOST liberals are VERY hard working folk ...

"Hate America" ? ... How can you SAY that ? .. MOST liberals love thier country as much as ANY conservative, but for the RIGHT reasons: not because they are asked to bow down to their leader .... They EXERCISE their rights instead of just praising them ...

"Ignorant" ?" ... How can you say that ?: MOST Liberals are VERY well educated, and this explains why they ARE Liberal ...

"Communist? .... Give me a FUCKING break" : Liberals arent Communist or Socialist: they love their fellow man, they respect their fellow citizens SO much that they want ONLY that their nation treat ALL men fairly and equitably ..... WE dont want HAND OUTS, but we expect that all who NEED a hand UP will get it .... There is no reason for families to starve or go without shelter when some citizens use our system of government to make enough money IN ONE DAY to feed a MILLION families for a week ... There is a price we pay for this way of life, and ALL must pay it according to their ability to pay ...

NOT paying taxes, by refusing to pay your fair share according to your ability to pay is patently unfair, and is more of a 'free ride' than any 'welfare queen' could possibly fathom ....

ALL men are created equal, and all should have equal protection before the law: ALL should benefit from the fruits of democratic society by taxing that society JUST ENOUGH to promote the general welfare of that society as a whole ...

That isnt socialism or communism .... That is fair republican capitalism ...

I am proud to be a Liberal, and if someone wants to criticise Liberalism, they had better come up with very sound arguments ...

[lynx rufus]

17. the word sounds stupid

why can't we be called progressives?
'Liberal' just plain sounds stupid.

[Trajan]

Explain your thesis as to WHY the word 'liberal'

'sounds stupid' ...

WHY does it 'sound stupid' ? ...

[defoliate_bush]

22. Liberal doesn't sound stupid to me.

It is rooted in the word "liberty" which isn't stupid at all. Progressive is a good word,too, though.

[DieboldMustDie]

18. To be liberal is to be generous, tolerant and open minded...

some people just seem to prefer stingy, narrow minded bigots. :shrug:

[DAGDA56]

28. I think you may have hit on the "code" meaning...

Liberalism means good things for everyone...even THOSE people. You're right; real bigots hate Liberals.

[Warren DeMontague]

26. It's Not.

"Fascist" is a dirty word.
"hypocrite" is a dirty word.
"Liar" is a dirty word.
"Fundamentalist"... I consider a dirty word.
"Savage Greedhead".. well, that's two dirty words.

Anyway, it's not like the media hasn't been unfair to Bush.. I mean, they portray him as a dyslexic, korsakoff's addled imbecile who can't speak proper english and can't make it through a bag of pretzels without hurting himself.

Oh, wait.. Bush is all those things, and the media cover it up for him. Sorry.

[noiretextatique]

37. thank you

:toast:

[Snellius]

27. A liberal who calls himself "liberal" is a kind of contradiction

The whole point of being liberal is to be open-minded enough to not want to be labeled as "liberal" or "conservative" or by any other ideological cult, a practical, unbiased attitude of which conservatives try to take advantage by claiming that anyone that isn't as absolutist as they are must be weak, wishy-washy and morally confused. In fact, it's those who need such black and white rules that lack confidence in what they really believe.

[tabasco]

35. It's also wishy-washy floating around not knowing what you are.

I'm aware of the issues and I know what side I'm on.

I'M PROUD TO BE A LIBERAL.

Open-minded does not mean indecisive. A person has to decide what is right and then stand strong in support of the right ideas. Progress requires decisiveness and action. A constant state of consideration of alternatives protects the status quo and serves the right. It is high time that liberals stand proud under the label and fight for progress for the common man.

[Nikia]

29. I think "conservative" is a dirty word

I associate it with stingyness, closed mindedness, and being on all around spoil sport.

[CaTeacher]

32. I don't like labels

(the l word or the C word) but I think both of them are inappropriately used to imply out of touch--different out of step with "ordinary" Americans.

And I think that lots of ordinary Americans buy into that definition.

[dukmon]

48. i don't like labels myself.......

i cut labels off of my shirts.................

those things make me itchy

[CaTeacher]

33. I don't like labels

(the l word or the C word) but I think both of them are inappropriately used to imply out of touch--different out of step with "ordinary" Americans.

And I think that lots of ordinary Americans buy into that definition.

Edited to add: Sorry about the dup--computer froze and this happened...

[dukmon]

38. is it a dirty word? i don't think so.......

inside politics didn't say that "very liberal" was insulting. why would you take it that way?

[Manix]

41. .only in the USA...elsewhere in the world it is just fine to be a liberal

[MISSDem]

44. Being a Liberal has nothing to do with age.

You become (or some always were/are) one when you become wise and mature. Some people are born that way and some have to grow into it.

[Canadian_moderate]

60. true

In some countries, liberals are considered right-of-centre. The Netherlands is one example. I believe it has more to do with the fact that Dutch "liberals" believe in free, or liberal, economics.

Most Liberals in Canada tend to be social liberals, while many, if not most, are fiscally conservative. That's what I would classify myself as, a socially liberal, fiscal conservative.

[Az]

45. Marketting and the nature of the divide

While it is true that the right has put considerable effort into demonizing the word liberal they had assitance from the nature of the divide between the right and the left.

The resurgence of the Republicans was bouyed by a combination of the economic right and the religious right. In particular the religious right strongly believes that it has a grasp of the truth. It does not believe that anything can be gained by taking the position of others into consideration. It has the truth, no further questions need be asked.

A liberal is in general someone that tries to examine the situation at hand and determine the best possible course for all involved. To do this they must make use of moral relativism and inclusiveness. They tend not to favor one view over another.

The right sees the progressive liberal ideas as corrupting and disruptive to the furtherence of their one truth. In fact liberals specifically refuse to favor the rights view. Anyone that does not support or enable this view must be an enemy. And since the religious right is on the side of god liberals must be in league with satan. Liberals must be demonized because they are in league with demons.

[Zinfandel]

47. Rush Limbaugh has used the label more effectively to insinuate liberal as

something it's not, as negative in connotation, than anyone in this country ever.

If anyone on this site is too stupid to know what liberal really means than look it up in the fucking dictionary and then maybe one might be proud to call themselves liberal, instead of a fucking moderate!!!

[Lisa]

49. Clinton mentioned this in his book ...

He noted that in the early 90s, the GOP issued a list of "code" words that their supporters would try to link up with the Democrats at every opportunity. For the most part, the words were negative (e.g. "irresponsible") but mixed in with them was "liberal". So they managed to get "liberal" into that category, more than a decade ago.

[AirAmFan]

50. Ah yes-Newt Gingrich's famous GOPAC memo: 'LANGUAGE:A KEY

MECHANISM OF CONTROL"

"LIBERAL" is prominent in Gingrich's list of NEGATIVES:

From http://www.fair.org/extra/9502/language-control.html

'"Memorize as many as possible. And remember that, like any tool, these words will not help if they are not used....

Contrasting Words

Often we search hard for words to help us define our opponents. Sometimes we are hesitant to use contrast. Remember that creating a difference helps you. These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party.

decay... failure (fail)... collapse(ing)... deeper... crisis... urgent(cy)... destructive... destroy... sick... pathetic... lie... liberal... they/them... unionized bureaucracy... "compassion" is not enough... betray... consequences... limit(s)... shallow... traitors... sensationalists... endanger... coercion... hypocrisy... radical... threaten... devour... waste... corruption... incompetent... permissive attitudes... destructive... impose... self-serving... greed... ideological... insecure... anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs... pessimistic... excuses... intolerant... stagnation... welfare... corrupt... selfish... insensitive... status quo... mandate(s)... taxes... spend(ing)... shame... disgrace... punish (poor...)... bizarre... cynicism... cheat... steal... abuse of power... machine... bosses... obsolete... criminal rights... red tape... patronage'

[AirAmFan]

53. Gingrich's memo apparently was modeled on George Orwell's Appexdix to 1984,

"The principles of Newspeak". Click 'Appendix' at http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/~smf7/175/booktoc.html

On the July 2nd Bill MOyers NOW, Frank Luntz, GOP boy-wonder pollster, OPENLY ADMITTED Orwell's '1984' is a favorite book. The Republican party is quite literally Orwellian:

From http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript327_full.html

'BRANCACCIO: I know you read a lot of George Orwell.

LUNTZ: I love 1984. In fact, the only time ever... Kaminski Park in Chicago where two baseballs were hit out of the stadium. They were both done by Greg Radzinski. The only time ever in the history of that stadium that a player hit two balls out in the same game and I was reading the last 100 pages of 1984.

BRANCACCIO: You were looking down?

LUNTZ: I was looking down and I missed the first home run.

BRANCACCIO: Were you...

LUNTZ: So, 1984 means something to me.

BRANCACCIO: Well, you know what Orwell writes, he says, "Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

LUNTZ: And I get that. And you know what? Language, it's just like fire. It can either heat your home or it can burn it down. In the hands of someone like a Ronald Reagan, it's used to illustrate a philosophy and a principle. In the hands of less decent politicians, it is used to obscure or even lie. It's the difference between, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall." And, "It depends on the meaning of the word 'is' is."

BRANCACCIO: Language, of course, as we're all taught... and you make money off this. I guess I do, too. Language really does matter. I mean, isn't it a crime to go to war if it's later shown that it was based on a false premise? ...

BRANCACCIO: And if you're good at setting the context and at deploying the information in a set order, can you convince a voter what to think?

LUNTZ: That's a good question. But the way that I look at it is not to convince the voter what to think, it's to convince the voter that what they think is correct. Some of this is not a matter of re-educating them. Some of this is a matter of just explaining that their gut instincts are correct. That they should not be fooled by either what they see or what they hear. That what they feel is what is correct. And that's a lot of it, by the way. It's not just language. It's style, it's presentation....

BRANCACCIO: Do you see what needs to be done as a manipulation? In other words, messing with people's heads?

LUNTZ: No, I've heard that before. And it's not messing with their heads because it's these thoughts, these ideas, these assumptions already exist. I would not... I do not believe in calling something that is white, I won't call it black. I do not believe in calling something that's up, calling it down. This is not Orwellian. This is listening to what you care about. This is understanding who you are, what you believe, all your life experiences and then explaining things in that way....'

[Warren DeMontague]

54. What's pretty impressive

is how many of those apply perfectly to the current administration.

decay... failure (fail)... collapse(ing)... deeper... crisis... urgent(cy)... destructive... destroy... sick... pathetic... lie... liberal... they/them... unionized bureaucracy... "compassion" is not enough... betray... consequences... limit(s)... shallow... traitors... sensationalists... endanger... coercion... hypocrisy... radical... threaten... devour... waste... corruption... incompetent... permissive attitudes... destructive... impose... self-serving... greed... ideological... insecure... anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs... pessimistic... excuses... intolerant... stagnation... welfare... corrupt... selfish... insensitive... status quo... mandate(s)... taxes... spend(ing)... shame... disgrace... punish (poor...)... bizarre... cynicism... cheat... steal... abuse of power... machine... bosses... obsolete... criminal rights... red tape... patronage'

[Warren DeMontague]

55. I Prefer Laurie Anderson's Memo on Language...

"it's a virus"

[noiretextatique]

51. unamerican acitivities

leftists, including liberals, have been on a hit list for a quote a long time in this country.

[rniel]

52. Why labels at all

Myself I'm liberal liberal liberal all the way

Doesn't it seem the very act of labeling every person as either a liberal or a conservative forces them into little camps. There's plenty of people inbetween the 2 extremes, but they are still forced into a label of either .. or .. Isn't this a tool that the conservatives use to slice the country into 2 and pull the country further and further to the right, playing these word games.

You've got some guy that could be labeled a conservative on most issues but finds out he doesn't like something as simple as bush's handling of our economy and suddenly that guy is instantly labeled a communist/liberal wacko, pot smoking, hippie.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

56. I think conservative is a BIT of an insult

but even at that, not as much of an insult as conservatives imagine the word liberal to be.

I'm with you. Look up the definition of liberal. It's pretty damn nice. So when I get called liberal, I say a completely sincere thank you and resist the urge to hug the person. It doesn't happen much, though. I think people around me figured out how much I like it.

[DaveSZ]

57. Bush has made "neocon" a dirty word

We should call him on it.

[JayS]

59. Because of things like this.

http://feinstein.senate.gov/photogallery/special-events/photo-gallery-special-events-040302-df-kennedy-schumer-kerry-awb-vote.htm

[Hippo_Tron]

61. Reagan, liberal = commie?

Err that's just a guess.

[UdoKier]

62. Because democrats since Carter's time have LET it become one.

In spite of the fact that Carter was a relatively conservative president, he and his successors have been branded with it, and instead of standing united in defense of good liberal values, democrats have scrambled to define themselves as "fiscally conservative" and friendly to "family values" - as though those two qualities are somehow incompatible with liberalism.

Liberals have NEVER been about deficit spending, except for temporary stimulus, and our policies are much more likely to help working families stay afloat financially (and thus more likely to stay together)

The worst accomplices in redefining "liberal" into a negative word have been democrats, IMO.

It's so bad that much of the country now think "liberal" is synonymous with "socialist" whan nothing could be further from the truth. The GOP, in the meantime, has fast approached a fascist philosophy of government, dressed up with slick suits, greasy smiles and cute sound bites.

[Toot]

66. Exactly. If Democrats just embraced the word like Republicans embrace

conservative, but also tell the people what their view of being a liberal is, I don't think the word liberal would be viewed as a negative as it is now.

[rman]

63. just keep repeating: "liberal, communist, un-American"

RW-media will do the repeating.

you never hear in mainstream media anything like
"republican, thief, immoral, colonialist, exploiter"

For one because there isn't much liberal mainstream media, also because the left traditionaly prefers arguments over rethoric and name-calling.

[porphyrian]

64. It Has Lots Of Difficult To Reach Places - n/t

[rumguy]

65. Because there's SO MANY different types of liberals

It's easy to find a group you dislike. Cons are much more monolithic in their beliefs.

Personally I don't like PETA. And yet we all get tarred and feathered with the label and held accountable for every outrageous stunt that PETA does.

This whole notion of dividing people into conservative, moderate, or liberal is just stupid.

[Sugarcoated]

68. Liberal and Communism

I've read this alot recently with Republican's I debate with on other boards, that the tenets of communism are very close to the tenets of the Democrat's. I've been searching the net for who or what is doing this comparing, all I came up with is Ann Coulter maybe? Can anyone enlighten me on this new smear?

I'm new here, hey!

[rumguy]

69. Yes Ann Coulter pushes that idea all the time

As do many others...

Welcome to DU!

[UdoKier]

67. The very assumption that it is a negative...

...belies the news media's bias. There are almost as many people in this country who call themselves "liberal" or "progressive" as "conservative", and yet the news media act as though there is some sort of consensus that "liberal" is a bad thing, which there clearly is not.

If most people understood liberalism in terms other than Rush Limbaugh's lies, 70% of Americans would call themselves "liberal".

[Sugarcoated]

70. How, though?

I realise that ideologies can overlap, but how is communism the same as liberalism? How are they making this case? I mean, I know what they're doing, I know how Coulter operates, but, I would very much like to read an article or something making the case for this.

[UdoKier]

71. I'm not sure what you're getting at...

I said that the corporate media's automatic assumption is that most Americans are "anti-liberal". There's little evidence that they actually are, therefore the media is biased for making that assumption. What does communism or Coulter have to do with it? Are you trying to reply to somebody else's post?

[Sugarcoated]

72. Udokier -

Sorry Udokier, I wasn't addressing your post, I introduced a different point a few posts above and sort repying to someone else, or just the DU at large. I'd start a new topic, but I'm new and I can't.

[Sugarcoated]

73. Raving: Irrational, incoherent and wild

I was just called a raving liberal - if you ask me, I'm seeing more raving conservatives these days