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coberst
Skeptic Friend
182 Posts |
 Posted - 07/06/2004 : 07:20:28
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Trashin Words
The word ‘liberal' has been pretty well trashed out of common usage in American lexicon. One might conclude that Ronald Reagan is the cause. I, however, do not think so. No one can accurately accuse Ronald of being an intellectual who had decided that the word was unfit for American ears.
Why are some words trashed and others placed on a pedestal? In fact, ‘liberal' was once a hallowed word placed, by Americans, on a pedestal. I suspect this happens because it serves the interest of a powerful group within the country.
With that thought one might very well point out that it was to the advantage of the Republican Party to trash the word. Yes, obviously, it served the interest of the Republican Party for this marvelous word to be disposed of.
If, however, one takes a drive through the Southland of America one will quickly discover that Reagan was an opportunist rather than an intellectual, thank God. If you drive through the Southland you will find that if you turn your car radio on you cannot help but hear from a great number of preachers. Every one of those preachers considers that there is only one thing lower than a liberal and that is the devil himself.
The Republican Party wisely decided that the religious preachers had set up a marvelous opportunity for wounding the Democrat Party.
I see hints that the Republican Party has decided to do the reverse with the word ‘freedom' today. Listen to Bush and you will hear the effort begin. The word ‘freedom' is to become a word for the pedestal. It is to become the revered word that can be used to package the Iraq war in sentimentality.[Moved to the Social Issues folder - Dave W.]
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 16:49:40 [Permalink]
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The republicans have had great spin power in the US since the end of WW2. Commie = devil, Hippie = devil, liberal = devil, and Saddam = Osama.
It proves the point that appeals to empotion are better for convincing the general populace than logic or reason.
I'll give you a word that has changed, and left the English language poorer for it.
Discriminate
Immediately you have a negative association with the word. It has come to symbolize a dark chapter in our history, and it's primary meaning now holds alot of negative connotation.
Once upon a time the word was a compliment of the highest order. A discriminating person was one who was able to make intelligent and wise decisions. A person of quality, taste, and culture. Once this was an ideal that many aspired to.
now.... it's all bad, and the Egnlish language lacks a single word for "chose wisely between the options". |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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tomk80
SFN Regular
Netherlands
1278 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 22:43:49 [Permalink]
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Don't worry Dude, at least discriminate is translated to every country's own language. "Apartheid" on the other hand, has never been translated from dutch, but has become a word of its own, in a lot of languages.
What I find a bit disconcerting is that, on www.christianforums.com" target="_blank">wwww.christianforums.com in the political forums, I actually saw some christian conservatives proclaiming that socialism is evil. But then again, Europe as a whole is evil according to them anyway. |
Tom
`Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.'
-Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll- |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 22:56:36 [Permalink]
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Socialism IS evil! Atleast, in it's extreme form. Well, I gues calling it evil is anthropomorphizing a bit.... I'd say the same about pure free-market capitalism also though. I think a combination, with capitalism more prominent than the socialism, is the best way to go here.
But I have to agree that the religious right has worked over the word "liberal", tunring it into an insult when they say it.
To which I can only respond..... _|_ (my artistic rendition of the bird). I'd call myself a conservative, if it weren't for the religious dogs who have taken control of the republican party. Guess that makes me a liberal. Which I have always been on social issues anyway.
Damn Nader, if only he had a snowball's chance in FL to win the election. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 06:27:21 [Permalink]
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Dude - you count yourself a conservative and yet pine for Nader to be a viable candidate? Where's my instanity emoticon! Damn. You just can't express yourself adequately with these freakin' emoticons.
To the subject at hand - the problem with the demonization of the word 'liberal' is that there isn't a word that can be used to express the concept anymore. If you give people who hate 'liberals' just the definition of liberal and ask if they agree with the concepts, they almost invariably agree. Then tell them that's what a liberal believes and they get angry.
So what can a liberal call himself and not find himself ostracized? If you call yourself or your ideas liberal, the average American is immediately turned off, without having a clue they probably agree with you. And when you try to point out to them that the man they voted for does not represent these same ideals, and indeed represents the opposite . . . . more anger. . . .
What the right has done is fooled the public into believing the party that represents concepts they believe in is actually representing something else. The right has succeeded so well in their use of deception I seriously doubt we will have a viable democracy for much longer. Once it becomes acceptable to decieve in all things political, the end of freedom can't be far.
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-Chaloobi
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 09:12:31 [Permalink]
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quote:
Dude - you count yourself a conservative and yet pine for Nader to be a viable candidate? Where's my instanity emoticon! Damn.
Conservative has also changed it's meaning over time. I'd like to see less government, less corporate control of politicians, less tax, and less general BS.
More libertarian I guess, but I think that the libertarian ideal was once what was considered conservative in this country...
Can I be a social liberal and a gov/fiscal moderate libertarian? |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 09:37:08 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dude
<snip>Can I be a social liberal and a gov/fiscal moderate libertarian?
Of course you can. That's what the fiscal conservative Republicans keep thinking they are voting for - but they get jack asses like GW instead. But they don't want anything to do with 'liberals' so they'll keep on voting for the fundie controlled republican party.
On the other hand, if you check out the Green Party platform, which Nader ran under last time and is angling for this time, you'll see that there' s nothing conservative about it. I like it quite a bit, but I know it would never ever have a chance of getting implemented in this country.
Link: http://www.gp.org/platform/2000/2002summary.html |
-Chaloobi
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 21:12:08 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by chaloobi
So what can a liberal call himself and not find himself ostracized?
I've found that a word used more frequently to avoid the (tragically) demonized 'liberal' is 'progressive'. I'm sure that this has connotations all its own, but nevertheless I've often heard it used... |
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