The Doublespeak Campaign, The Doublespeak Award, The Orwell Award and the NCTE
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Definition of "Spin"
Spin can be defined as providing an interpretation of something to persuade public opinion. Politicians are often accused of using spin tactics to manipulate public opinion.
Because of the frequent association between "spin" and the press, especially in regard to political figures, the the room in which press conferences take place is often called a spin room. A group of people who develop spin are sometimes called "spin doctors" who engage in "spin doctoring" for the person or group that hired them.
I came across an interesting section in a big coffee table-sized book I have had for a while, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language. It's a cool book, crammed with all kinds of things about the English language from stuff as boring (or exciting--depending on who you are, I guess) as grammar, to stuff as interesting as the symbolism of language and expression, and even its graphic dimensions (hey, to each his own, right?) What do you expect from somebody who writes poetry?
This isn't the kind of book you can just sit down and read, so every now and then, I take on a section I haven't explored before. There are things in there even a reasonably well-educated person with an M.A. in languages probably doesn't know off the top of her head. At least, not this one.
So, has anybody heard of the Doublespeak Campaign? Probably a few out there have--though I don't think it gets much news play, and its origins were in the 1970's, so that cuts quite a few people out, most likely, because it was before their time.
Of course, probably given the awakening in news coverage during the Vietnam era, there was a marked increase in concern about the way jargon and language was used to confuse or deceive people by those who were in power or who had interests to protect or promote.
It was in 1971 that the National Council of Teachers of English then passed a resolution concerning the use of language:
On Dishonest and Inhumane Use of Language
That the National Council of Teachers of Enlgish find means to study dishonest and inhumane uses of lanuage and literature by advertisers, to bring offenses to public attention, and to propose classroom techniques for preparing children to cope with commercial propaganda.
On the Relation of Language to Public Policy
That the National Council of Teachers of English find means to study the relation of language to public policy, to keep track of, publicize, and combat semantic distortion by public officials, candidates for office, political commentators, and all those who transmit through the mass media.
In 1973, the Council decided to form a committee on the matter, officially called The Committee on Public Doublespeak. The term 'doublespeak' was initiated by blending two words from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four--newspeak + doublethink. The committee focused on classroom activities for students, but its highest profile campaign became the annual Doublespeak Awards, created in 1974.
So, what can be classified as Doublespeak?
In the view of the committee, this is any "language which pretends to communicate, but really doesn't. It is language which makes the bad seem good, the negative seem positive, the unpleasant appear attractive, or at least tolerable. It is language which avoids or shifts responsibility, language which is at variance with its real or its purported meaning. It is language which conceals or prevents thought." This is, of course, mainly emphasized in regard to the public discourse, and quite often, politics.
It is also stressed that this sort of language is not the product of sloppy thinking, craftmanship or lack of knowledge. It is instead careful and deceitful thinking, designed to mislead and with the attempt to change reality in some way.
In example, bluntly, it is rather like an abuser telling you the sky is green over and over, inducing you to beleive it while threatening you in some way.
In more recent years, it has almost become acceptable to induce 'spin,' which is just another term for doublespeak, in political news coverage. The problem is rampant, and I find the lack of knowledge of such communication proportionately as rampant within the general public and representative on Hubpage forums.
Characterizations of the pro-choice movement, in example (whether this was done in innocence or not) as a major proponent of partial birth abortions, when in truth these procedures are very rare and usually of medical neccessity, is a case of doublespeak.
Another alarming issue I've noticed is the inability of people to sipher through good, bad, indifferent and clearly biases sources--this concerning almost anything. I guess--perhaps--this is why some of us are writers and researchers, since we have this ability--probably honed through years of reading and study, though it is now so inherent to our thought process that we may not even be aware of it. Therefore, it is easy to be shocked at the lack of this ability in others.
And it gets increasingly harder in a more complex and media drenched world.
So what is the answer? I'd be interested in hearing viewpoints from anyone who has a perspective on the issue.
Of course, it is not all bad news. There are also The Orwell Awards, introduced by the same committee and designed to recognize a work which has made an outstanding critical analysis of the public discourse. The first award was given in 1975. Lists compiled on both awards, taken from Wikipedia follow. It is interesting to note some of the recipients on both lists:
Winners of The Doublespeak Award:
- 2007 - Alberto Gonzales
- 2006 - George W. Bush
- 2005 - Phillip A. Cooney
- 2004 - George W. Bush Administration
- 2003 - George W. Bush
- 2002 - New York State Regents
- 2001 - United States Department of Defense
- 2000 - The tobacco industry
- 1999 - National Rifle Association
- 1998 - US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
- 1997 - Bill Clinton, Trent Lott, and Newt Gingrich
- 1996 - Joe Klein, author of Primary Colors
- 1995 - Newt Gingrich
- 1994 - Rush Limbaugh
- 1993 - United States Department of Defense
- 1992 - George H.W. Bush
- 1991 - United States Department of Defense
- 1990 - George H.W. Bush
- 1989 - Exxon
- 1988 - Secretary of Defense William Carlucci, Admiral William Crowe, and Rear Admiral William Fogarty
- 1987 - Oliver North and John Poindexter
- 1986 - Officials of NASA, Morton Thiokol, and Rockwell International
- 1985 - Central Intelligence Agency
- 1984 - United States State Department
- 1983 - Ronald Reagan
- 1982 - Republican National Committee
- 1981 - Alexander Haig
- 1980 - Ronald Reagan
- 1979 - The nuclear power industry
- 1978 - Earl Clinton Bolton
- 1977 - The Pentagon and the Energy Research and Development Administration
- 1976 - United States State Department
- 1975 - Yasir Arafat
- 1974 - David H.E. Opfer, United States Air Force press officer
Winners of The Orwell Award:
- 2009: Peer de Bakker, scholar of the World
- 2007: Ted Gup, author of Nation of Secrets: The Threat to Democracy and the American Way of Life
- 2006: Steven H. Miles, M.D, author of Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror
- 2005: Jon Stewart and The Daily Show cast
- 2004: Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh and Writer Arundhati Roy
- 2002: Bill Press for Spin This!
- 2001: Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber for Trust Us, We're Experts!: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles with Your Future
- 2000: Alfie Kohn for The Schools Our Children Deserve
- 1999: Norman Solomon for The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media: Decoding Spin and Lies in the Mainstream News (published by Common Courage Press, 1999)
- 1998: Scott Adams for his role in "Mission Impertinent" (San Jose Mercury News West Magazine, November 16, 1997;). The farce highlighted the absurdity of managerial language and the overuse of the "mission statement."
- 1998: Juliet B. Schor for The Overspent American: Upscaling, Downshifting and the New Consumer
- 1997: Gertrude Himmelfarb for "Professor Narcissus: In Today's Academy, Everything Is Personal," June 2, 1997, issue of The Weekly Standard
- 1996: William D. Lutz for The New Doublespeak: Why No One Knows What Anyone's Saying Anymore
- 1995: Lies Of Our Times (LOOT) A Magazine to Correct the Record, was published between January 1990 and December 1994. It served not only as a general media critic, but as a watchdog of The New York Times, which the magazine referred to as "the most cited news medium in the U.S., our paper of record."
- 1994: Garry Trudeau, creator of the cartoon strip "Doonesbury" was cited for consistently attacking doublespeak in all aspects of American life and from all parts of the cultural and political spectrum.
- 1993: Eric Alterman: Sound and Fury: The Washington Punditocracy and the Collapse of American Politics
- 1992: Donald Barlett and James Steele, Philadelphia Inquirer for America: What Went Wrong?
- 1991: David Aaron Kessler, Commissioner, Federal Food and Drug Administration. "Under the leadership of Commissioner Kessler," said William Lutz, chair of the NCTE Committee on Public Doublespeak, "the FDA has begun seizing products with misleading labels, developing new guidelines for clarity and accuracy in food labels, and exposing false, misleading, and deceptive health claims on food labels and in food advertising."
- 1990: Charlotte Baecher, Consumers Union for Selling America's Kids: Commercial Pressures on Kids of the 90s
- 1989: Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky for Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media
- 1988: Donald Barlett and James Steele, Philadelphia Inquirer for a series of articles on the Tax Reform Act of 1986, in which they pointed out language disguising tax loopholes in the legislation
- 1987: Noam Chomsky for On Power and Ideology: The Managua Lectures
- 1986: Neil Postman for Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
- 1985: Torben Vestergaard and Kim Schroder for The Language of Advertising
- 1984: Ted Koppel, moderator, Nightline, ABC-TV. ". . . a model of intelligence, informed interest, social awareness, verbal fluency, fair and rigorous questioning of controversial figures. . . . [who has sought] honesty and openness, clarity and coherence, to raise the level of public discourse."--William Lutz, chair, NCTE Committee on Public Doublespeak
- 1983: Haig Bosmajian for The Language of Oppression
- 1982: Stephen Hilgartner, Richard C. Bell, and Rory O'Connor for Nukespeak: Nuclear Language, Visions, and Mindset
- 1981: Dwight Bolinger for Language--The Loaded Weapon
- 1980: Sheila Harty for Hucksters in the Classroom: A Review of Industry Propaganda in Schools
- 1979: Erving Goffman for Gender Advertisements
- 1978: Sissela Bok for Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life
- 1977: Walter Pincus, Washington Post "A patient, methodical journalist who knew his job and who knew the jargon of Washington. Mr. Pincus was the man responsible for bringing to public attention, and thus to a debate in the Senate, the appropriations funding for the neutron bomb."--Hugh Rank, chair, NCTE Committee on Public Doublespeak
- 1976: Hugh Rank for the "Intensify/Downplay" schema for analyzing communication, persuasion, and propaganda
- 1975: David Wise for The Politics of Lying
Books on public discourse and spin:
On Media:
Doublespeak in the news:
- ETS may be for Rudd what Work Choices was for HowardThe Age22 hours ago
The vitriol began the moment the party room yesterday endorsed Tony Abbott as Liberal leader. The women of the twitterverse, the ABC and Crikey.com agreed Abbott's election was a disaste. He's a right-wing Catholic extremist. He'll never get the women's vote. The people who voted for him were troglodytes.
- What I BelieveMiddle East Online27 hours ago
For those Muslims who were born in the West or who are citizens, it is no longer a question of 'settlement' or 'integration' but rather of 'participation' and 'contribution'.
- Ghana : Government Doubletalk On TransparencyAllAfrica.com25 hours ago
Accra — The government's apparent classification of the contents of the draft governing policy for the oil and gas sub-sector has met the disapproval of Research and Advocacy Organisations (RAOs) as well as key opinion leaders.
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Comments
This appears to be mostly an attack on the right by the left. Double speak would be to deny that...
Recently Congress was in such a hurry to spend a lot of money that they did not read what they were passing. They were then shocked when bonuses went to the undeserving. Most of the politicians railing against our economic problems caused those problems by forcing through home loans to people who could never pay them back.
I guess my concerns are more on hypocrisy than double speak. Does it still depend on what "is" is?
Doublespeak has long been a subject of great interest to me. "Spin" -- by being both a simplification of the term, and a simplification in understanding the term -- doesn't speak to the intentional duplicity of phrasing inherent in deliberately attempting to mislead (ask kids what "spin" means, they say "making something sound better than it is" -- not as pernicious). I'm glad to see people such as Gary Trudeau and John Stewart on the Orwell Awards list, as their attention to linguistic honesty and integrity can teach their younger viewers and readers to be clearer thinkers; satire is a very useful tool in uncovering such deceptions. Interesting hub -- I know what book is going on MY Christmas wishlist.
This is a timely and important subject, Lita, and I enjoyed it very much. I've done a couple of hubs on George Orwell myself, and I think it's important to keep readers aware of the doublespeak that goes on daily today in many areas, especially advertising and politics. I've heard of the Doublespeak Awards and the Orwell Awards, but they get little public attention beyond a brief news item. It is particularly interesting to see the list of those receiving the awards over the years. As in Orwell's "1984," the answer is easy. The best thing we can do is to put more light on the subject, as you have done here. Thumbs up.
Hi, Elena-I really, really like your new bl & wh. photo, btw. I'd say doublespeak both prevents and directs thought, yes--you have it right. I know you are a business woman--and maybe you don't know, but I work in PR--and both professions, lol, may be accused of this sort of disingenousness as a knee jerk reaction. But I think those of integrity of ANY profession knows what crosses the line.
Poetryman-Yes--but you do see that Clinton appears on the doublespeak list. As far as my understanding, the right sees him as responsible for the subprime mess. Not that I necessarily think that is why he appears there, ;). Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes not. Anyway--I liked Clinton, but doublespeak would be one of the reasons why I only 'liked' rather than admired him. All that old school communication stuff.
I don't think there is any denying that Karl Rove--who has been active on the right since the Reagan years--has been a MAJOR contributing factor to promoting this kind of dirty campaigning and doublespeak for decades. That group needs to be kicked out or die off before we can have "equal coverage" again. I hate it when CNN tries to be 'fair' by promoting 3 different versions of spin talking heads like it is real commentary. I'd say to deny the Neocon influence and Rove tactics is to induce doubleseak, :)
Thank you for coming by to comment.
Teresa-Yes, I'd never argue against a good choice of words, :). But as you say, this is more pernicious. Yes, somebody was commenting that since we've no real journalists around anymore, we need the John Stewarts of the world. I'm also interested to see that Chomsky won the Orwell award twice--but then again, maybe he would, wouldn't he? lol It's said that's all he does--is sift through periodicals upon periodicals and analyze.
Kids, yes--there is hope. The adults who respond to advertising, certain subprime offers, lol, and who quote propaganda as sources--well (?)
I know you'd love the book!
William- Thank you. Yes, I see you have a couple interesting hubs on Orwell--as they popped up as related to this hub, :). I wrote this, basically in response to what I was seeing in the forums on hubpages, but also to what I have seen a lot of on CNN, etc. It is terrible-I think they rely on the fact that watchers only spend a few minutes viewing their material-because if you spend more time than that, the spin and lack of real depth (sometimes) becomes apparent. Then there is the knowledge that some journalists and stories here and abroad are political plants.... I hope I have shed at least a >little< more light on the subject by writing this, :). Thanks.
I was a young child when the term "doublespeak" was coined; however, I know that it happens and continues to happen.
It is a form of brainwash, glossing over truths and putting spins on the ugliness of special interests no matter what side (RIGHT or LEFT), of the fence they are standing.
Very interesting Hub Lita!
Thanks, DarleneMarie-Yes, and I believe those who work in advertising, journalism or PR need to be especially aware of it, as do consumers of information. I can honestly say I have never been at a place that has forced me to compromise integrity--yet. But then again, I'd never work for Phillip Morris, either, lol... I do have to say that sometimes mistakes are just mistakes--and sometimes, on the right or the left it is really hard to tell--without a lot of research--what is real and what is not, no matter who you are.
Great hub. What I find really alarming is this tendency for people in all camps to avoid critical thinking--not just avoid it, actually, but become actively hostile to it. It seems like politics has become kind of like religion for a lot of people. You memorize some dogma and then arrange the world to fit whatever the dogma is instead of reading history, learning to think rationally, learning to analyze data, learning to analyze language and how it can be used to obfuscate. I mean, it's like all there is in so many debates now is emotionalism and empty rhetoric and name calling. I think it is very destructive, and it really serves people with means who would control people with no means (or little means)by getting us to fight with each other over nothing.
As Americans we need to stop thinking ignorance is some kind of moral virtue and intolerance is courage. Reminds me of Orwell--Ignorance is strength. No, no it isn't. It really isn't.
Lita, I wasn't for sure when I started reading your hub where the adventure might take me. You know, with some hubs you can. What a great twist you intertwined towards the end. I really enjoy the great read.
This is a great hub. Doublespeak is lying. And certainly it is a way to lull the American people to sleep. It seems to be working:(
Yes, Pam! Then there is that. Just plain laziness, and isn't it just oh so cool? I've been fighting against that one for most of my life, as I am the opposite type. Do your damn homework....It is ESPECIALLY bad here in the west as I have learned--isn't it interesting how I have heard it termed that vice pres. candidates on the right are "typically light weights from the West." This is not true all around, certainly--but there are many here trying to 'reinvent themselves,' and believe they can do anything--all good & all, except for the incompetence.
And then there are those who learn that one train of thought--who the heck knows--maybe from their parents or to fit into some identity or social group & yep, they are like one-note wonders, playing the same empty rhetoric over and over again. They simply refuse to read or think rationally. You nailed it. Thanks!
I think you are one of the clear-headed ones out there on the forums, RK. :) That's why I'm thanking you when you dismantle some of that stuff that has been posted. Thanks for coming by to read and post a reply!
Bgamall-- I completely agree. It is WORSE than lying. It's fraud. It's telling someone something is good for them, while you stab them with a knife... And I think it has been working to some degree, like you, for many, many years.
Great Hub, Lita.
The doublespeak thing is so true, and a sign of lowering of quality of information. How it is presented is far more important than what it actually says. 'Collateral damage' and 'friendly fire' are two of the most disgusting doublespeak phrases, when they actually mean 'lots of dead people.'
I find the whole thing very frustrating. I was taught that if you do not understand something, don't argue about it. Evolution is one area - I am all for debate, but arguing with somebody who has never bothered to read the theory is like nailing jello (is that right in American?) to the ceiling.
The internet has helped us research, but the cost is that everybody is suddenly an expert!
Yeah, Sufi. You are another clear-headed one out there--and I've seen you helping out a few who are interested in how to become better researchers, :). But I agree with the Jello bit (yes, proper American), and I must say it is disheartening as well as frustrating.
I'm completely with you as far as not arguing if you don't know what you are talking about. There is much more strength in that than pretending, isn't there? You can always do the work, and then come back and actually HAVE a valid opinion. Thank you!
Hey there, Lita -- I'm not sure why you laugh when you speak of our professions. Ahem. I'm trying hard to keep a straight face here, and I'm sure I'm failing miserably! Laugh!
Thanks for mentioning the B&W shot, I thought I'd make it a bit ... errrr ...artistic this weekend :-) You can see the full sized photo in that hub of mine about avatars, if you're so inclined.
I do love your work!!
TMG
This hub is great,
I am a waiting an update for the 2008 awards, since it was an election year.
Thanks.
Keep on Hubbing!
It's a wonderful hub. I wish more people spoke directly and honestly, then we'd all get somewhere.
Elena--Yep, as you saw, I stopped by! I don't know about you--but sometimes the true politics are at the office, and then some, lol..
TMG--Wasn't sure you were talking to me or Elena, but I'll say thanks, nontheless...
Eovery--Yeah, why was 2008 missing, I wondered? A lot to consider, I'll bet. Not sure you'd a agree, ;), but I'm thinkin' it'll go to Sarah Palin.
LondonGirl--That would simply be one benefit, wouldn't it? :) Thank you.
Oh Lita,
Darn, I was honestly looking for something hot and juicy from the bailouts scandals. Even Poulson would have been a better choice. You had so many to choose from here.
I am disappointed that this is the best you can do. Pick on a innocent soccor mom, who the media tried to destroy because she was a threat. I hope you did not pick on her just because this was for little ole' me.
Well Keep on Hubbing.
EOvery--LOL. No. Not for little 'ol you! Those bailout scandals are mostly in 2009, so--wipes em a bit out. And innocent? Mrs. Palin? Ha! Trust me, women know other women--and that lady is certainly not innocent.
Oh, if you must know, I was tracking her every move and numerous scandals on Mudflats.com during the eletion--a blog that had all the juicy tidbits. Hey--mainly, the lady didn't know what she was doing--the rest was all--rhymes with kitsch!
Anyway, it isn't my choice--so cheer up! :)
Actually your entire country is pretty much down the tubes, man. Over here in Spain we have problems but at least people know they can vote for someone who agrees with their views, unlike your dilemma with voting for Republicans or Democrats, neither of which seems to mean what they say they stand for.
I also like the fact that someone has pointed out that the Bush dynasty is full of B.S. and that Reagan was great at saying nothing when he spoke. I never liked him. I left the U.S. when Nixon was still prez and I left because people told me to love America or leave it, so I went away and have never regretted leaving for Europe. Lots of people over there in the US seem to be making fun of european socilaism, but I think its the greatest thing ever! I never have to pay for a medical visit and if I can't find work I really get help! Recently I was in the US visiting the few people of my family who still live there and I heard some idiot on your Fox News saying that in europe people have to wait months for treatment, but thats just another lie by your media.
You Lita!
TMG
Ivan--Well, I'd say its going a little far to say we are going down the tubes completely. I think we are getting better--by stops and starts. Yep, you sound bitter, but life does that to ya, sometimes, I suppose.... Bush and Reagan--all part of the Rove dynasty, for the sake of this article--were definitely full of BS. I remember some of Reagan's advertising and it was so sacharine sweet it made me ill even then.
You do have to remember, this country was founded by expats from Europe, ;). We'll get there.
TMG-- I knew that! I was just messing with your mind, lol :)
I have never heard of this campaign. But I do feel some terminology like "Islamic Terrorists" breeds a stereotype. And at the same time due to political correctness some terms like Global war on terror being called "Overseas Contingency Operation" does seem confusing sometimes to understand.
Yes, CW...There was a whole section in this book on excessive jargon, political correctness, etc... All a part of doublespeak. I, lol, for one, don't believe in political correctness--I guess then I'm not a good liberal? (That's just another stereotype.) I believe in clarity and honesty. I know you do, too, :).
Yes there seems to be a fine line that divides what breeds stereotype and what is plain confusing. Btw I never think of myself as a liberal maybe more in the centre(but then maybe I haven't understood myself really well yet) :D
Hold on eovery... I'll research it and get back to you... They may have changed domains or whatever. Alaskans are pretty critical of Palin--but this blog author does have a liberal slant, as well...telling you that in advance. The Anchorage paper DID win some kind of award for their excellent and unbiased investigative reports on her.
Here you go, eovery. They had moved. And you'll have to look in the archives around election time:
This one is a list of the scandals, et. al. surrounding her... I've never looked at it--just found it. Don't know the bias/etc.:
http://palingates.blogspot.com/
So, more info. than you probably ever wanted to know.
Why would you want to mess with my mind. Bless its little heart. Messing with my mind is liking picking on a retarded kid it might be a little fun at first, but it gets boring fast. :-)
TMG
Yeah! TMG. Except about money matters and nuclear options...or solutions...or whatever that is you do chatting people up. You chat people up, don't you? lol
This was very cool to see! I wrote my final thesis on doublespeak in american media during the iraq war.
I used chomsky and german propoganda methods as my main sources but it looks like i missed something big...off to tons of research about the doublespeak awards
how cool!
Yes, I just came across it myself, sunforged. It doesn't look like many people know about the awards, though they made Wikepedia all right. Chomsky is something of a hero (if I had such things) to me. Thanks for stopping by to read!
Lita, China is rapidly buying up your assets and India is taking your jobs. Japan and Korea outproduce many of your industries. You still waste fortunes on middle east oil. Apart from consumming, what does the US offer any other nation? You are soon to be out of the car-making business and your banks showed the way to greedily snap up unearned fortunes, ruining the rest of thew world in the process. Apart from liking Obama, there is a great mistrust and even hatred for the US. Bush Sr. & Jr. did a lot to bring that about, and Reagan too. The last politician I would have voted for over there was Bobby Kennedy, but someone killed him and I lost faith in the values the US was practicing. I left when Nixon wanted to become supreme ruler of the universe.
In Spain I may not like the views and ideas of other parties, but here we have many parties, and people have more choice about who rules. Fortunately for us most people are burned out on the right-wing parties so parties like PSOE, a socialist left-wing, usually leads the elections.
The US will still be there, but apart from having a huge nuclear arsenal, you are really going downhill as a super power. Iraq is breaking your army (I am a Viet Nam vet and I saw the first steps taken there) and Afghanistan will ruin the rest. I wish I could be more optomistic but I have seen this tilt to the right over there for too long. And now that the Democrats rule, they are nitpicking each other to death.
Ivan-This is a vast, wide, beautiful land with a vast, wide array of people. We have enormous resources of all varieties--some of which have not been dreamed of yet. I believe in this and I know this--a true Hope and Obama supporter despite my also realizing how the world is and claiming my share of cynicism (in my case only to be USED, not to be adopted as a philosophy.)
I do see your points and even understand why you would feel that way and even become an expat. I hear Spain is lovely--and I do think that after a couple hundred years--after all the wars, human rights strife and killing--Europe has emerged on top as far as humane treatment of others. That is a great deal, absolutely. It isn't everything. I'm certain it makes for a nice place for a citizen to live.
There is total justification in Europe hating Bush sr., jr. and Reagan. Complete cowboy wealth and self serving, unsophisticated idiots (sorry, conservatives--just as I see it). You will find many in the United States that would agree with that sentiment. But you must understand that those ex-'leaders' are NOT America.
I think Obama expressed it best in his Town Hall Meeting over there. I recognize the 'shining Camelot' persona that was Kennedy, but from what I read about him, I don't respect him--except for some good speeches, :). Obama has my deep respect, as well as producing some good rheotoric.
It is just not in my nature, I guess, to be that doom and gloom. Phoenix will rise from the ashes... Don't much care about all that old school Super Power stuff, lol--it is a new era. That's what Obama represents.
REALLY interesting article..in reguards to the double speak campaign, it kind of reminds me of Alex Jones and http://www.prisonplanet.com/ to some degree.
Guy is at once raving..and yet sometimes so crazily rational you want to believe him.
Ah, and I think of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC5JXyD0rbA
I know, I'm a link hoe.
GLM
PS
Watch it HQ, blow it up full screen--notice the crawlers at the bottom of the "news" portion? Like.."Is it 1984 Already?" Thats why I love these guys.
Huh, GM-- I didn't know about him until now... What I find interesting is that sometimes the real, investigated truth is sometimes stranger than the fiction doublespeakers would have you believe. I feel like there is often a grain of truth--whether it be concrete or metaphorical--in conspiracy theory type stuff.
Real journalism/writing is a hard job, but somebody has to do it--and when they do, do it right. Same goes for any citizen trying to investigate what they should to make a political or other decision... Thanks for coming by to read!
LOL! And yes you ARE a link HO. :)
Hoho, I get the correction. ;P But a hoe is a tool used to break up the surface of the ground.
And I scratch the surface of many grounds, in many mediums, and link them together in my frantic mind frame. So it was a double entente. No, really....okay, alright, I lie. Thanks for correcting me.
And I agree. I have a few of this guys movies...I listen to a show called "Coast to Coast AM." I listen to people I hate to listen or watch. Not because I like to, but because at the end of the day--its nice to have a cross section of the general state of what we call society. At least for me. =)
I agree, GM. I do the same thing--only it is usually blogs--to see what the other side thinks. It helps with understanding. :)
Lita...I'm not buying into the Double-speak or Orwell lists at all... they read like a love-fest at Moveon.org or The Nation.
Where is Gore, Hillary Clinton, and Kerry on the Double-Speak list...?
The Orwell Awards are blatantly leftist with an unabashed list of America haters, Bush haters, and military haters. Lets take a look at these so-called " critical " thinkers and writers:
Ted Gup, a writer for Mother Jones and a traitor to America with his " expose " of CIA operatives.
Jon Steward, a light-weight comedian with appeal to the sarcasm crowd. Hardly a critical thinker.
Noam Chomsky, an averred leftist, anti-free market, anti-American values, virulent propagandist and anarchist. He wants it all, as exemplified by his revealing statement " If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all ". I'm not sure I despise anyone. I may not agree with them, but despise..?
Sorry to rain on your parade of liberal comments, I usually ignore left/right discussions, but this Hub is so blatantly left, wrong, and prejudicial, I could not leave it unchallenged.
I do appreciate your perspective and I think you have done an excellent job presenting your view of critical thinking.
Maven--Thank you. It's actually highly The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language's version of critical thinking--with my presentation. But, hey! I'm a big fan of Chomsky, I admit...Yes, I knew we were at opposites when I saw some of your comments in other hubs, lol. But then, what do you expect from most Arizonans?? A sea of rightism... That's OK...I did appreciate your common sense comments on the forum regarding conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11. Thanks again. :)
The simplest example of spin:
"That all depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."
Delicious hub here Lita,a buffet of food for thought.You did a great job defending/expanding your thoughts in these comments,they are as enlightening as this well researched hub.You remind me of the poet Gil Scott Heron,this clip is from 1982 and I think you will enjoy it.The man has some very lucid thoughts that seem even more relevant today:
Hi, MindlessBrute. Cool spoken word poet. I didn't know him. But yeah, I remember seeing this art installation--forget the exact name--but it was something like a miscellany of brightly colored carnival stuff made out of clay; "Policy during the Reagan/Bush Years," was something (close) to the title. Fluff & fakery, yep. B movie... I hate hearing that Reagan was such a God. I see no such thing.
Thank you for stopping by to read, :)
They forgot "Pro-Choice" when it means "I want this baby killed," "Tolerance" when they mean "tolerance of our views only" "Fairness" when they mean "I'm going to take your earnings and give them to someone else after the bureaucracy takes its 20%" "equal opportunity" when they mean "equal outcomes" "You are trying to impose your beliefs on us" when they mean "I want to ban your beliefs"
If anybody has mastered doublespeak it is the Left—just as Orwell predicted. After all, he wrote it in response to totalitarian USSR.
In the congressional record of 2005 there is a study that concluded 9% of partial birth abortions were classified as performed because the mother or baby had physical health concerns. 91% were simply because after 7 or 8 months the female just decided she didn't want to have a baby.
Every time the procedure was brought up, in every state court, it was defended tooth-and-nail by the Left—by their lawyers and their politicians.
Well, James, I am best described as a socialist libertarian (of course you have read Paraglider's Bloodless Revolution, so you may have an inkling of what we are talking about. However, on social issues, as they stand, I lean decidedly left, because from all I have read, studied and experienced, I believe it to be correct. I'm not saying I don't believe this information about partial birth abortions, but I definitely would have to examine the record with my own eyes. Partial birth abortions are extremely rare procedures, and I find in almost incendiary that anyone would classify "females," (which are part of the human race, I might add) as wanting to kill viable fetuses. It simply rings as extremely incorrect, and mainly, illegal across the board...similar to infanticide.
Left/right politics in the pejorative sense (and it is almost ALL pejorative here on Hubpages at the present time) with dung slinging are ever so starting to bore me! 'Who yer fer' just doesn't seem sooo very smart to me anymore.
So anyway, thanks for reading this and stopping by! I won't hold this against you, promise! lol :)
I appreciate that! :D
Oh, I hope you knew I was lefto, right? lololo. I knew you were a terrible rightist from other hubs. Oh, it's OK! :) Still waiting for that house hub.
Lita, valuable hub. American rationalization of reasons for war and description of unintended consequences - collateral damage, etc., must be the greatest examples of 'doublespeak.' The political process seems to forget totally about honesty, truth, virtue and integrity, and to indulge in this misleading communication. We are assumed to be imbeciles with suggestible minds. Yes, we CAN (be). Ha. Geoff.
Ocean-- Ah, well, advertising...I'm thinking that's what you are speaking of. I'm still not exactly sure what I think about it--and I've worked in advertising and marketing for a while, ;). The process is never clean, very true...there is probably a range from black to gray to white on a continuum. I'll always say education and engagement in whatever process is there is the key. I appreciate your comment, :).
Elena. says:
8 months ago
Hey Lita! First time ever I hear about the Doublespeak Award & the Orwell Award, which doesn't mean I'm not familiar with doublespeak or 'spinnin' it :-)
"language which is at variance with its real or its purported meaning. It is language which conceals or prevents thought." -- I'd say, more than preventing thought, this type of language aims at "directing what one thinks", as opposed to facilitate free, independent thinking.
Oh well, won't split hairs :-) I found this hub really interesting!