Whoever Controls the Language Controls the Debate May 18, 2012 by The Godfather
If you can control the language, you can control ideas. By controlling ideas, you can control the way people think and act. Before Frank Schaeffer went over to the Dark Side, he had some good things to say about how liberals think and act. His analysis of language is still applicable: “Think of the use of labels to categorize political activity. Some labels are used to neutralize the actions of certain groups; others denote being ‘one of us,’ acceptable. The words ‘right wing,’ ‘fundamentalist,’ ‘pro-life,’ ‘absolutist,’ and ‘deeply religious,’ are put-downs more than categories. Conversely, think of the unspoken pat on the back and blessing that the following words convey: ‘moderate,’ ‘pluralistic,’ ‘liberal,’ ‘civil libertarian,’ ‘pragmatic,’ and ‘enlightened.”[1]
Consider the following list:
LIBERAL.............................................................CONSERVATIVE
Arsenal of Weapons................................................Gun Collection
Delicate Wetlands..........................................................Swamp
Undocumented Worker................................................Illegal Alien
Cruelty-Free Materials...........................................Synthetic Fiber
Assault and Battery..........................................Attitude Adjustment
Heavily Armed.....................................................Well-protected
Narrow-minded..........................................................Righteous
Taxes or Your Fair Share...........................................Coerced Theft
Commonsense Gun Control....................................Gun Confiscation Plot
Illegal Hazardous Explosives..........................Fireworks or Stump Removal
Non-viable Tissue Mass...............................................Unborn Baby
Equal Access to Opportunity............................................Socialism
Multicultural Community..........................................High Crime Area
Fairness or Social Progress..............................................Marxism
Upper Class or “The Rich”..........................................Self-Employed
Progressive, Change........................................Big Government Scheme
Homeless or Disadvantaged..............................Bums on Welfare & Leeches
Sniper Rifle...............................................Deer Rifle with scope
Investment For the Future...........................................Higher Taxes
Healthcare Reform............................................Socialized Medicine
Extremist, Judgmental, or Hater.....................................Conservative
Truants............................................................Homeschoolers
Victim or Oppressed............................Criminal or Lazy Good-For-Nothing
High Capacity Magazine................................Standard Capacity Magazine
Religious Zealot..................................................Attends Church
Fair Trade Coffee.......................................Overpriced Yuppie Coffee
Exploiters or “The Rich”..................................Employed or Land Owner
The Gun Lobby........................................................NRA Members
Assault Weapon............................................Semi-Automatic Handgun
Fiscal Stimulus.......................................New Taxes and Higher Taxes
Same Sex Marriage...........................................Legalized Perversion
Mandated Eco-Friendly Lighting.................Chinese Mercury-Laden Light Bulbs
Accepted Fact.........................................................Horse Shit
