Newspeak: Language and Meaning
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Gah, this brought back memories of year-12 and doing media studies, being forced to look at newspapers to discover the language they use, how it isn't emotive in articles but clevely conveys the writers idea through the use of certain adjectives. It also made me laugh at the use of 'hyperboles' (as we'd just finished studying them in math) to try and exaggerate the stance of something.
Personally I think we become so used to advertising that we tend to ignore the spin a lot of companies use.
To use an example, take a look at the 'March Mayhem!' add the Escapist has in the corner of my screen right now. The repeated use of M in the title creates a poetic feel to the add, and the use of words which carry a lot of power and weight behind them such as Mayhem! and Showdown! creates an air of granduer which otherwise would not be possible without using language. Also, note the fact it boldly claims to feature the 'TOP 64 developers' implying they've deliberately gone out to recruit the best of the best, an idea which resonates well with humanity in general as success is fawned over.
The aforementioned statements aren't meant to be critical of MM, just using it as an example.
Personally I think we become so used to advertising that we tend to ignore the spin a lot of companies use.
To use an example, take a look at the 'March Mayhem!' add the Escapist has in the corner of my screen right now. The repeated use of M in the title creates a poetic feel to the add, and the use of words which carry a lot of power and weight behind them such as Mayhem! and Showdown! creates an air of granduer which otherwise would not be possible without using language. Also, note the fact it boldly claims to feature the 'TOP 64 developers' implying they've deliberately gone out to recruit the best of the best, an idea which resonates well with humanity in general as success is fawned over.
The aforementioned statements aren't meant to be critical of MM, just using it as an example.
It seems to me that the need to dominate everything around us is a human trait, so it seems natural that the people in charge (depending on what country you're from) see a need to keep some things to themselves and clean up and repress the most important information from the public to keep the peace and control between the upper echelons of the "cool kids club" that none of us subordinates seem to be a part of. Its the same thing with the language they use in the media, if you see a headline in a newspaper that says,"500 soldiers return from an attempted aid between during a civil war between the civil and dumbfuckistan (not that that would ever be a headline, regardless of soft language or not, I am just making a hypothetical scenario), all returned with SHELL-SHOCK." Now, we could all easily agree that the visual media (possibly a more respected informational outlet) would take the same headline and turn it into this: " Soldiers return from war with post-traumatic stress disorder (formally shell shock), due to childish wrongdoings of an uncivil culture."
I could see that happening because it is less unnerving than,"500 of our soldiers just got fucked big time when it wasn't even our war." and thus would keep from arousing panic, awareness and (god forbid) action. To me, its all just human nature at its oldest peak.
I could see that happening because it is less unnerving than,"500 of our soldiers just got fucked big time when it wasn't even our war." and thus would keep from arousing panic, awareness and (god forbid) action. To me, its all just human nature at its oldest peak.
George Carlin had a great bit on this, focusing on how we've gone from "Shell Shock" to "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder".
I like to lisen to what people don't say, for there lyes their true intentions. If you'v even lisened to a skilled politician answer make a statement about a question he/she has been asked then you will see this theory in action.
Here's an interesting quote:
"One death is a tragedy, thousands are statistics." -Joseph Stalin
It really says something about the way people perceive things.
Here's an interesting quote:
"One death is a tragedy, thousands are statistics." -Joseph Stalin
It really says something about the way people perceive things.
In my opinion, political spin or rhetoric is only a danger to very lazy people. If you're prepared to accept what you're told at face-value, then when you read on the news that there was collateral damage in a bombing of Iraq you can mostly ignore it. If however, you're the type that actually researches recent events and stays informed, a civilian massacre is going to shock you just as much no matter what they call it.
On the subject of the language itself changing, it does that. There really isn't any point getting upset that 'layoff' is the new word for 'mass-firings'. They're talking about the same concept and as long as you recognize that, the news is just as relavant. Is 'layoff' a lighter term than 'mass-firings'? Sure. Theres an undeniable aesthetic difference but functionally the words serve the same purpose.
As for 1984, political correctness is irritating but its a long way away from that. Media can get as kid-friendly as the Barney show but political correctness will never actually eliminate concepts. It will never become improper form for a news station to report that 30,000 people have lost their jobs last year. As long as that remains the case all we need to do is remember what they're calling 'firing' these days.
We're also infinitely far away from not being able to express concepts of revolution or discontent. Honestly, I don't think that day will ever come. There might be a day when you can't say 'fuck' on television, but when that day comes they'll have a new term with the identical connotation and usage. It'll mean less to us, but for the younger generations that grow up accepting this new word as 'fuck's replacement, it'll be just as meaningfull.
One wonders if shakespearean citizens of yore we're equally diturbed by the increased restriction on "Slithe" or "Zounds". Those we're curses, way back when. Does anyone honestly feel the language has been cheapened by having them fall out of use?
tl;dr
If you stay informed and know the facts it doesn't matter what words other people use to describe events. The language changes pretty much every generation (You're kids will think you talk like an old person. It's inevitable. Because you'll be talking like someone who was born in the 90's). One word for fuck is as good as the next. There ain't no point worrying; so long as you have a free media, how it chooses to express itself is superfluous.
Should people be paranoid about the language? My general advice would be to assume things are generaly going to be screwed and there's nothing you can do about it, but that everything is going to work out well and you don't have to do anything to ensure it. I don't know quite how that applies to this topic specifically, but it's how I lead my life and ... Well it keeps things interesting if nothing else.
On the subject of the language itself changing, it does that. There really isn't any point getting upset that 'layoff' is the new word for 'mass-firings'. They're talking about the same concept and as long as you recognize that, the news is just as relavant. Is 'layoff' a lighter term than 'mass-firings'? Sure. Theres an undeniable aesthetic difference but functionally the words serve the same purpose.
As for 1984, political correctness is irritating but its a long way away from that. Media can get as kid-friendly as the Barney show but political correctness will never actually eliminate concepts. It will never become improper form for a news station to report that 30,000 people have lost their jobs last year. As long as that remains the case all we need to do is remember what they're calling 'firing' these days.
We're also infinitely far away from not being able to express concepts of revolution or discontent. Honestly, I don't think that day will ever come. There might be a day when you can't say 'fuck' on television, but when that day comes they'll have a new term with the identical connotation and usage. It'll mean less to us, but for the younger generations that grow up accepting this new word as 'fuck's replacement, it'll be just as meaningfull.
One wonders if shakespearean citizens of yore we're equally diturbed by the increased restriction on "Slithe" or "Zounds". Those we're curses, way back when. Does anyone honestly feel the language has been cheapened by having them fall out of use?
tl;dr
If you stay informed and know the facts it doesn't matter what words other people use to describe events. The language changes pretty much every generation (You're kids will think you talk like an old person. It's inevitable. Because you'll be talking like someone who was born in the 90's). One word for fuck is as good as the next. There ain't no point worrying; so long as you have a free media, how it chooses to express itself is superfluous.
Should people be paranoid about the language? My general advice would be to assume things are generaly going to be screwed and there's nothing you can do about it, but that everything is going to work out well and you don't have to do anything to ensure it. I don't know quite how that applies to this topic specifically, but it's how I lead my life and ... Well it keeps things interesting if nothing else.
"Collateral Damage" is soft language? I always interpreted it as "we were doing something destructive and blew up another shitton of things on accident." As in, "we screwed up big time."
As for the general idea, I'm not concerned in the least. Language is a function of culture, manipulation of language a function of politics. Both have been in existence as long as agriculture, and I can't see the extreme of language destruction as being any shade of feasible or worth noting in the least.
As for the general idea, I'm not concerned in the least. Language is a function of culture, manipulation of language a function of politics. Both have been in existence as long as agriculture, and I can't see the extreme of language destruction as being any shade of feasible or worth noting in the least.
One point: We needed to change global warming to climate change. The facts are that we don't know what's going on, just that we're affecting the planet and we don't know what the results will be. They won't be good though, that's for sure. Don't flame me for "covering up global warming" please. I just happen to know a lot of climatologists are scratching their heads.Good morning blues said:
Having said that I think we need to express ourselves accurately if we are to combat "spin". Ye gods yes it is out there, and in horrible amounts. Case in point: OP mentioned "collateral damage". The Iraq war was/still is an absolute joke. The number of people killed, the number of lives destroyed, the number of communities broken is staggering. The costs of war are NEVER fucking fully pointed out to the populace for one reason: War gets quicker results for politicians and if the real costs were obvious beforehand, politicians would never get the results they wanted. So the costs are bundled into a neat little easy to swallow package.
So, how do we combat this? First and foremost we start at home. This morning I told my stepson "I'm sorry I called you a jerk. I should have simply said that you were acting like one." (And believe me, he was.) I work hard to be precise with my family. I expect as much from them. I will hound the kids when they are being lazy in their self-expression from time to time. If we think along such lines naturally we will have a better chance to recognize it in the world around us. If we expect honesty from ourselves, we will make the world into a more honest place.
To tie this all back together: The right in this country have been beating on "global warming" for some time now. They are going after a term in order to avoid dealing with a simple, obvious reality; that we are changing are planet more rapidly than any of us realize and we don't know what the overall effects are going to be. The left in this country rather than go after honesty to create a social system that makes sense, even in terms of political and/or scientific concepts use tired out terms to hold the populace hostage to their ideals in their bid for power. Which is what one would expect from a party that will hold education hostage rather than look for healthy financial solutions (WA state economy right now). So we don't get a good education on what climate change really entails, either at school or from the media.
You'd best hope the thought police aren't on this site...Labyrinth said:
Anyway, jokes aside, I've been this type of paranoid ever since I read Orwell's work. Thanks for making me feel like I'm not completely alone.
Using the truth to lie is nothing new. Sure you need to be aware of it, but there's no need to fear it.
Granted it is no where near as bad as the great depression but banks giving out to much credit caused the great depression too and whats happening now fits the technical definition of a depression. Depression: noun "A period of drastic decline in a national or international economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices and unemployment." From The American Heritage Dictionary of The English Language, fourth edition.xmetatr0nx said:
I apologize. I really shouldn't be concerned with things like this, but dammit I'm offended and I will say my peace. This is, after all the internet.bjj hero said:
bjj hero, I invite you to get back up on your soapbox and tell me what YOU would call these terrorists/freedom-fighters. If a man calls something black, saying that certain people would call that thing white is not an opinion or an argument. It's a statement of fact that allows you to undermine your opponents' argument while staying safe and sound on the sidelines because you won't take a stand and participate in the discussion.
So, what would you call a group of individuals who, if they were given the realistic opportunity, would force themselves into your house, drag you and your family out onto the street, cut your heads off, and then put a video of the execution up on the internet because you don't believe as they do? If you yourself are Muslim, what would you call a group that would do things like this to others and claim that they share your religion?
Your answer doesn't have to be terrorist or freedom-fighter. It can be whatever you want. Also, I don't mean to offend and hope I haven't. The image I conjured was personal only to add weight to my argument. The topic is personal for me, as I am a U.S. Marine and am going to Iraq later this year. I consider stopping these people to be the reason I risk my life for anyone (at home and abroad) who may be targeted. And the OP is right about at least one thing. Language (and more specifically, the words that we choose) can make all the difference.
For me theyre terrorists. There are others, misguided in my opinion, who may refer to them as freedom fighters. Either way violence is unlawful and shouldnt be used. I do sometimes wonder though, If a foriegn power came to Britain, over threw our government, stationed troops on the streets, I had no power to my house, running water or job. How would I feel? I wouldnt resort to violence but others might.Echo3Delta said:
They were terrorists in northern ireland who resently killed 2 soldiers and a policemen. The difference is they wont be labelled "enemy combatants" in order to keep them without trial, moved to gitmo where "enhanced interrogation techniques" may be used, it used to be known as tortured, using "waterboartding".
Before the CIA made waterboarding cool again and rebranded it, it was known as Spanish water torture and used by the inquisition. Isn't language fun?
I know Gitmo has been closed (is about to close?) but word games were used to try and justify that grubby part of US history.
I think we have different perspectives on this. Its new in America, terrorists on home soil (not counting the Oklahoma city bombing, he was home grown) I grew up where bomb threats were common in major cities and the IRA were a real threat. They may not drag me out to behead me but they would blow me and my mother up on a day trip to Manchester, the end result is the same. There were tit for tat killings and acts of violence for decades.
I have no issues with soldiers, its a hard job. I wish you the best of luck and hope you get home safely. I never said terrorism is justified, I just dont think sanitising war and torture with language is the way to fix it.
It's counteracted to an extent by the innovative use of language, fortunately..It's why I found Fahrenheit 451 to almost be more frightening than 1984..same principle, but I'm an oaf who has trouble distinguishing ><
Why is that thought-provoking books tend to have numbers in the title?Catch 22, etc..
Why is that thought-provoking books tend to have numbers in the title?Catch 22, etc..