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proud2BlibKansan

(96,793 posts)
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 02:25 AM Sep 2012

How the GOP Has Changed the English Language

According to the Bing definition Liberal means: 1.broad-minded: tolerant of different views and standards of behavior in others 2.progressive politically or socially: favoring gradual reform, especially political reforms that extend democracy, distribute wealth more evenly, and protect the personal freedom of the individual 3.generous: freely giving money, time, or some other asset Now, all these qualities sound good to me. Yet, when the first George Bush ran against Michael Dukakis, he and his trainers managed to turn “liberal” into a dirty word. I will admit that I was furious with Dukakis with not coming back with something like, “Yeah, I’m a liberal and proud of it because that means I’m (see above definitions).” But did he? No. He was almost apologetic about being a liberal. He let the GOP redefine liberal into a negative.

And, the GOP did so well then that they’ve continued on. Many of us, if not most, have heard Socrates admonition, “Moderation in all things.” taught to us as being a good thing. Now, the GOP has changed the definitions of moderate: “2.reasonable: not excessive or unreasonable 3.middle-of-the-road: not extreme or radical”, which sounds like a good way to be, into being synonymous with ‘wimpy’.

Compromise has become another dirty word in the GOP lexicon. Definition: “a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal modification of demands.” This, to me sounds like a reasonable course of action, but the GOP has redefined it as ‘selling out’ (see ‘wimpy’ above).

But the one that angers me the most is their attack on being intelligent. “The intelligentsia” is their scornful putdown. Definition: “1.intellectuals: the most intelligent, intellectual, or highly educated members of a society or community, especially those who are interested in the arts, literature, philosophy, and politics.” I’ve had ‘smart lib’ thrown at me as an insult.

Read more here: http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/how-the-gop-has-changed-the-english-language/#storylink=cpy

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Spider Jerusalem

(21,786 posts)
2. 1866, 1957
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 04:35 AM
Sep 2012

The 1866 law passed by a Republican congress over Andrew Johnson's veto, and the 1957 law passed with the support of northern Republicans and encouragement of a Republican president despite opposition from segregationist Southern Democrats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1866

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1957

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
7. Okay, so... way back when, back when the parties were fundamentally different.
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 05:58 AM
Sep 2012

Those were the liberals of the old days, I guess. The parties have shifted so much since then.

Thank you for taking the time to post the links.

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
3. Huh? The attack on being intelligent
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 04:36 AM
Sep 2012

has a long history in this country. In fact, suspicion and scorn for the intelligent goes back a couple of hundred years. The claim the author makes is just so erroneous. Books have been written about the long anti-intellectual strain in this country. Adlai Stevenson almost certainly lost because he was smeared as an "egghead". And the fifties in particular were almost virulently anti-intellectual in this country. ack.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
4. yes, it just keeps rasing it's ugly head, that anti-intellectualism
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 05:09 AM
Sep 2012

You said his claim is erroneous but it sound like you are agreeing with him. I don't think he was making it exclusive to this particular time. I agree, anti-intellectualism has been an American pastime for quite a while, it just seems to have taken root in society as a whole more now due to the availability of stupid.

But then, maybe Sarah Palin was correct when she said, "American is an evolving language".
I don't think she was being deep.

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
5. the author is claiming that republicans are the root of changing
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 05:18 AM
Sep 2012

certain parts of the lexicon including denigrating the concept of intelligence

pampango

(24,692 posts)
6. Add "amnesty" to the list of words (like "liberal") that the GOP has turned into dirty words.
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 05:50 AM
Sep 2012

"Black’s Law Dictionary defines it as "a sovereign act of pardon and oblivion for past acts, granted by a government to all persons who have been guilty of crime." The Legal Dictionary at the FreeDictionary.com offers more background and notes that "an act of amnesty is generally granted to a group of people who have committed crimes against the state." It gives the example from 1977 when President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty for Vietnam War draft dodgers.

Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican from South Carolina, responded with a press release that said Obama's action on undocumented youth "is amnesty." That was echoed by other Republicans such as U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who said "President Obama's decision to grant amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants is a breach of faith with the American people.""

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jun/20/jim-demint/immigration-plan-enforcement-amnesty/

Just like the terms "liberal" and "intelligentsia", republicans have turned "amnesty" into a dirty word.

Polls show that majorities in both parties favor a "path to citizenship" as either a priority or a co-priority with "border control" in the reform of immigration laws. Other polls show that majorities in both parties oppose "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. The effect on polling results that comes from changing "path to citizenship" to "amnesty" proves how successful the GOP has been in denigrating the term, just as they have done with the terms "liberal" and "intelligentsia".

Bernardo de La Paz

(48,788 posts)
8. It's a known & conscious effort by Republicans. Here's how to counter it & how it works.
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 08:26 AM
Sep 2012

The attack on language has been going on since the 1970s. The attack on intelligence, knowledge and education is as old as the hills.

It can be reversed. Begin using liberal, compromise, and moderate paired with positive phrases. Like "Liberal freedoms", "moderate wisdom", "patriotic compromise". Generate lists of these phrases, memorize them, and work them into conversations. Take the time to generate new ones as you write posts online.

Here's some more thoughts of mine on the topic, such as how to turn "tax cut" into a negative: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=53710

This video explains how it works and the history of the Republican manipulation.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
10. I love this idea...
Mon Sep 10, 2012, 01:31 AM
Sep 2012

There's a certain musicality in the effect of changing phrase acceptance like comparing the hearing of an expected value to an "extended" value. 'gives me an idea for a composition. 'Could be interesting. Maybe only to me but... Thanks!

This is a good lesson on communication at several levels! Adventurous.

starroute

(12,977 posts)
9. Add "entitlement" to the list
Sun Sep 9, 2012, 11:49 AM
Sep 2012

Instead of meaning something you have a right to because you earned it, they've changed it into something the government gives you for free and that you don't deserve.

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