Where Language Meets Politics

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LANGUAGE SHAPES POLITICS Framing 101: Republican and Democratic Metaphors The Political-sensitivity Quotient Tracking politically sensitive words and phrases in the media and on the Internet. George Lakoff, premier linguist on politics The Hidden State of the Union - George LakoffExamining the metaphorical coding of US politics, through the President's State of the Union speech. WAR AND METAPHOR The Dubya War Glossary-Geov Parrish Why 'Crime' Rather than 'War' Will Help Us Get Bin Laden Michael Klare's 9-13-01 piece explains why 'war' was the wrong metaphor Revisiting the War Metaphor - Jayne Docherty Don't torture English to soft-pedal abuse -Geoffrey Nunberg LANGUAGE & THOUGHT Language, Thought, and Cultural Change How Language Shapes Thought -Valerie Gremillion Language intersects perception, attention and cognition - directing our thought and action LANGUAGE & POLITICS LINKS The Metaphor Project Global Language Monitor Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg's homepage The Word Spy's Index of New Words Media Literacy Reading Room ACADEMIC LINKS Journal of Language and Politics Orwell's Essays on Politics and Language Comprehensive list of linguistic links | Where Language Meets Politics Extracting Real Understanding from Political Messages Language is basic not only to human communication, but to human cognition - and therefore to the decisions we make, and the actions we take. In other words, language creates building blocks and pathways of thought that determine our responses to the world. Skilled use of langage can inspire and bring clarity, or deceive and label through subconscious mechanisms and associations. Therefore, understanding how language shapes our thinking is one of the most important ways to understand human culture and the world: it is necessary for us to make sense of the political messages we are receiving. Unconstructing the language of politics means being alert to the underlying imagery, metaphor, and stories that the language conveys. EXAMPLE: HOW LANGUAGE CREATES IMAGERY Image: "green balloon" Metaphor: "an inflated economy" Metaphor expanded to story or allegory: "the inflated economy bursts because of too much demand" The Metaphor Project Political language specializes in 'spin', misleading statements, and most importantly, 'framing' or contextualizing words in ways that direct our thinking. Reframing is essentially co-opting a word (or phrase or concept) and re-defining it in negative or positive ways that benefit a candidate, party, or political stance. A good example is the Republican re-definition of 'liberal' as someone who 'taxes and spends' - with an undercurrent of 'soft on defense' or otherwise wimpy. This reframing of 'liberal' as a negative word is counter to the historical reality that U.S. democracy was explicitly founded on liberal concepts and principles, or that its primary definitions are: 1. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry. 2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded. 3. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism. So liberal - meaning free, open-minded, progressive- is now an epithet. The use of 'spin' and reframing are of course, not limited to Republicans; at this point their use virtually encompasses the entire field of political debate, at least in the U.S. However, until recently, this focus on language was primarily the province of Republicans, led by ace Republican pollster and architect of 1994's 'Contract with America', who publishes internal books for Republican candidates on which words and phrases to use for specific audiences and situations. "...a compelling story, even if factually inaccurate, can be more emotionally compelling than a dry recitation of the truth." Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz, who also said in a 1997 memo given to Republican members of Congress called 'Language of the 21st Century' that Republicans need not 'change our substance or create a separate women's agenda" because "listening to women and adapting a new language and a more friendly style will itself be rewarded.' While such an approach creates winning campaigns for its advocates, it has resulted in undreamed-of damage to the American body politic, short-circuiting modes of thought involved in communication through both overt and covert use of language. When used as both weapon and shield through redefinition and the co-opting of previously dependable words and their meaning, the confusion that results only increases feelings of information overload and helplessness amidst a morass of tangled terms. The flip side is equally negative: reframing basic concepts and daily language results in simplistic and polarized world views that are easily manipulated further. When post 9-11 cries of 'the world will never be the same' result in Americans willingly giving up fundamental freedoms for undefined and unsubstantiated 'homeland security' needs, then we are in trouble. When re-labeling someone as 'enemy combatant' is sufficient to strip them of those freedoms without their consent, we are in desperate territory. And when the right to decide who wears that label is reserved for one person, the President of the United States, then with words alone, we are creating both emperor and empire. Analysis of how exactly words are shaping our very thoughts and perceptions is now our responsibility. Without it we run the risk of choosing paths that run counter to both our needs and our principles. How Post your comments, additions, requests for discussion, etc, here

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"and by declaring of course, I mean acknowledging." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, 11/23/04: "Prime Minister Allawi is doing his part to lead Iraq towards democracy be declaring a country-wide state of emergency. And by declaring of course, I mean, acknowledging. For the next 60 days Iraq willbe under martial law. And it is about time.. it's about time Iraq made an honest woman of chaos, made it official." Ah. 11/23/04 07:43:17 GMT

Which has to remind one of this passage from Emmanuel Goldstein's Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism: George Orwell - 1984 (full text, online, free) - Part 2, Chapter 9: [S]o long as they remain in conflict they prop one another up, like... sheaves of corn.... [I]t is necessary that the war should continue everlastingly and without victory.... In past ages, a war, almost by definition, was something that sooner or later came to an end, usually in unmistakable victory or defeat.... But when war becomes literally continuous.... The war, therefore, if we judge it by the standards of previous wars, is merely an imposture.... But though it is unreal it is not meaningless... Econboy 11/02/04 17:22:10 GMT

We declared war on terror. We declared war on terror—it’s not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, I’m sure we’ll take on that bastard ennui. - Jon Stewart, William & Mary commencement address Is "war" the right word?? We might consider that we've been operating on the wrong assumptions... A.Harken 11/01/04 15:31:55 GMT

We declared war on terror. We declared war on terror—it’s not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, I’m sure we’ll take on that bastard ennui. - Jon Stewart, William & Mary commencement address Is "war" the right word?? We might consider that we've been operating on the wrong assumptions... A.Harken 11/01/04 15:31:08 GMT

We declared war on terror. We declared war on terror—it’s not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, I’m sure we’ll take on that bastard ennui. - Jon Stewart, William & Mary commencement address Is "war" the right word?? We might consider that we've been operating on the wrong assumptions... A.Harken 10/31/04 04:56:27 GMT

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Fanstastic>http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/09/02/politics/campaign/nat_02WORDS.gif">Fanstastic graphic on how words were used at the Democratic and Republican conventions

10/30/04 19:46:25 GMT