Orwellian politics

[dblack]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

 

[gipper]

The Left is expert at the use of Orwellian wordsmithing, but the right does it too.

How about the use of the words "defending our freedom?" The media, politicians, and others love to proclaim American soldiers who die in some shit hole half way around the world, did so to protect our freedom. What a bunch of statist BS.

 

[BULLDOG]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

If someone can't afford something, especially the necessities of life, they are certainly denied access to it. You're trying to make something out of nothing.

 

[DGS49]

You could write a book. How many terms have been completely re-defined in order to promote a political agenda?

Choice.

Marriage.

Immigrant.

Boy & Girl.

Equality.

Diversity.

Wimmins' Health.

Politically correct.

Inclusive.

It is nauseating but Orwell was right.

Consider the thousands of times every day when our "news" outlets use the word "immigrant" when they are referring to people who are in our country illegally? DJT is said to be "anti-immigrant," when he has NEVER said anything negative about IMMIGRANTS, and in fact is married to an IMMIGRANT.

And no one challenges these people for their blatant misrepresentation of reality.

 

[BULLDOG]

You could write a book. How many terms have been completely re-defined in order to promote a political agenda?

Choice.

Marriage.

Immigrant.

Boy & Girl.

Equality.

Diversity.

Wimmins' Health.

Politically correct.

Inclusive.

It is nauseating but Orwell was right.

Consider the thousands of times every day when our "news" outlets use the word "immigrant" when they are referring to people who are in our country illegally? DJT is said to be "anti-immigrant," when he has NEVER said anything negative about IMMIGRANTS, and in fact is married to an IMMIGRANT.

And no one challenges these people for their blatant misrepresentation of reality.

Those words haven't been redefined. You're just nostalgic for a time when they weren't considered, or even used in discussions about the direction of our country.

 

[JakeStarkey]

dblack, like any good orwellian, wants to control the words we use.

 

[MACAULAY]

Subsidy

To a Leftist Marxist Loon Democrat, a Subsidy is any amount of money earned by a person (or group of persons who have pooled their money--corporation/partnership), which the Federal Government lets them keep.

 

[hadit]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

Exactly. They did the same thing with birth control.

 

[BULLDOG]

Subsidy

To a Leftist Marxist Loon Democrat, a Subsidy is any amount of money earned by a person (or group of persons who have pooled their money--corporation/partnership), which the Federal Government lets them keep.

Why do you think Democrats would make up a new meaning of a word? Did rush tell you that?

 

[bendog]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

Exactly. They did the same thing with birth control.

Actually, people were denied access to birth control.

 

[bendog]

dblack, like any good orwellian, wants to control the words we use.

I think dblack just misunderstands what Orwell was about. I admit I am perhaps overly influenced by my views on the Cold War and communism. But today it is not about controlling thoughts so much. As Gipper said, both the left and the right play the same game, although I'd argue Bannon and Trump are hardly conservatives. William F. Buckley would repudiate them, because while he had his moments of prejudices, he realized conservatism would only be acceptable itt rejected racism, anti-semitism, atheism and a rejection of politicaly liberal western christianity, etc.

But what we see today is more about tests for ideological purity, and ironically with Trump allegiance to an individual. The irony is that is what the alt R accused Obama as being, but the dem party is pretty much the same today as it was 5 years ago. I doubt we'll see the same thing with the gop.

 

[dblack]

I think dblack just misunderstands what Orwell was about ..

How so?

 

[hadit]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

Exactly. They did the same thing with birth control.

Actually, people were denied access to birth control.

As is illustrated in the OP, that means society didn't want to buy birth control for people who could easily buy a box of condoms.

 

[Moonglow]

I became a professional at ignoring the attempts at brainwashing and subliminal messages....Huh?

 

[bendog]

I think dblack just misunderstands what Orwell was about ..

How so?

I think you have a kernel of truth here. In the past election we had the altR and Putin and Wikileaks marching in lock step to push facts, some of which were/are outright lies. The left is less obvious, but we had a socialist running behind the democrats political infrastructure.

But to answer your question, Orwell was about totalitaraian states controlling their citizens reality. There is no free press. The state controls all information. And individuals exist for the state's benefit, and the justification for that is creating harmony in the collective. That's fundamentally different from "denied access to decent housing." Dems would be using code speak to say more affluent people not only have nicer houses, but safer neighborhoods, less police profiling and better schools.

As a conservative I'd agree those are problems, but I'd differ solutions, but that's not really relevant to your question. I just don't want some loser Alt R Trumbpot griping I'm for big government, when in fact the Orange Cretin is blowing up deficits even with rising employment and slow growth.

 

[bendog]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

Exactly. They did the same thing with birth control.

Actually, people were denied access to birth control.

As is illustrated in the OP, that means society didn't want to buy birth control for people who could easily buy a box of condoms.

No it means that states really did prohibit access to birth control. and it continues
Pharmacists In Kansas Can Now Deny Women Access To Birth Control

 

[Redfish]

Orwell saw it coming, so did Rand. In Atlas Shrugged the government passed the "equalization of opportunity act" which mandated that successful companies give a portion of their business to failing poorly run companies, in Atlas it was railroad lines, but we are seeing the exact same things today. Punish success and reward failure. Its what dems and libs live by.

 

[Redfish]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

Exactly. They did the same thing with birth control.

Actually, people were denied access to birth control.

As is illustrated in the OP, that means society didn't want to buy birth control for people who could easily buy a box of condoms.

No it means that states really did prohibit access to birth control. and it continues
Pharmacists In Kansas Can Now Deny Women Access To Birth Control

so in Kansas you cant go into a drug store and buy a pack of rubbers? Don't be so fricken stupid.

 

[bendog]

Thanks Fish, I couldn't have made my point more concretely than you just did.

 

[Scorpion]

George Orwell famously warned us of those who would control our thoughts by controlling the words we use. I thought it might be interesting to track efforts to do this in modern politics.

I'll start with the shenanigans around the word "access". It's a popular euphemism for describing poverty, often combined with the equally dubious usage of "denied". Rather than saying that a family can't afford decent housing, they might say that they are "denied access" to adequate housing. Being "denied access" seems to simply mean that they can't afford something, but it has connotations that prompt people to think about the issue differently. Which is the point.

They prefer "access" to "buy" or "afford" because they want to promote the idea that the goods and services in question aren't things you buy, but rather things you are granted "access" to. The usage of "denied" reinforces this stealth assumption by further suggesting that the goods and services in question are, by right, owed to the person in question. They want to equate not being able to afford something with being "denied" a right.

What other orwellian word games have you noticed lately?

Exactly. They did the same thing with birth control.

Actually, people were denied access to birth control.

Birth control is readily available.
Either one controls oneself or makes a short trip to the drug store to prevent pregnancy.
Cant afford a rubber don't fuck.
Not my responsibility to pay for your lack of self control.