Language and Politics: "Government Run"

[Dr Morbius]

I just heard a caller to Bill Press claim the talk-show host wants a "government run Wall street."

Mr. Press, of course, like myself wants Wall street to abide by some sensible rules. To follow laws which prevent them from doing harm to one another, to themselves, and to their investors/depositors. Regulations, as opposed to chaos.

Law and order = government run. I suggest that whenever we hear the phrase "government run" we reply with "law and order." Because the American people have a positive view of law, but a negative view of the government which writes and enforces law, I think it's helpful to remind them. Wall street is a lawless place right now, so it's little wonder we're getting ripped off! And once again, there's no such thing as a "free market" if it is unregulated. In unregulated markets the law of the jungle takes over, and the only ones who are free in the jungle are the predators.

Please, do not allow the right to dominate the vocabulary. They will try. Don't let them. Thank you.

[zbdent]

1. It's a phrase, like most Repugniconvict talking points, which is boiled into a sound byte

which glosses over the real problem with something that boils the blood, instead of tells the story.

Repugniconvicts always say about "personal responsibility" ... but they want as much rules as a teenager does ... and throw infantile tantrums about having "rules".

And later, when talking about "kids today", they say "kids actually like having rules".

Recently, I borrowed a comedy DVD from the library. As the DVD went on, I realized that I had inadvertently borrowed a "Christian" comic DVD. But she wasn't too bad until the last 15 minutes. Anyway, she went on about how people whine about all the rules/boundaries, and then she went on and on about how the boundaries are actually making you more free ... :silly: :wtf:

[Dr Morbius]

2. It's about authority.

The right respects authority only when they are in power. Otherwise, any authority figure is repressive.

[Odin2005]

3. It's a buzz-word regurgitated without thought to mean "bad".

[bluethruandthru]

4. This is something the right does constantly.

These are the same people who turned "liberal" into a dirty word. This morning I heard a local right wing talker continually say "Obama's deficit". I'm sure that came from the think tank that gives them their talking points and phrases.

[Dr Morbius]

5. Well, how do we combat it?

I believe we on the left (collectively, mind you, not talking about anyone specifically) don't confront the false use of language enough. I think of vocabulary as the infrastructure of communication. Like all infrastructure, it requires some degree of maintenance, because it's being actively undermined.

We've gotten better with the word "liberal." I don't know anyone who's afraid to call himself or herself a liberal. I know a lot of people who call themselves "progressives" who could call themselves liberals, but misidentify liberalism as a belief in big government.

Because government has been made a dirty word, and that bothers me much more than making liberal a dirty word. Government is a good thing, especially when it is a people's government. Government is the law, and without law, freedom is only real to predators.

I'm for fighting this, and I am welcome to suggestions on how to win. Because winning the argument over the meaning of terms is essential, methinks. It's an uphill battle, of course, when 90% of the media is owned and controlled by a handful of corporations. But the internet is still free, for a little while longer at least.

[bluethruandthru]

6. It does involve a concerted effort on the part of those of us on the left.

Even little things help. Whenever someone complains about government...I tell them they ARE the government. I'm forever reminding those who complain about taxes how much they get from their tax dollars..etc.
I give credit to repubs for having a well oiled communication machine. It's amazing to me that we Dems can't come up with a powerhouse communication group responsible for OUR talking points, etc.

[Dr Morbius]

7. Kick. (nt)