The "New Centrism" and Its Discontents - George Lakoff

[ProudDad]

"Conservatives have made the word "spending" their own. It has come to mean wasteful or profligate spending, as if the government just takes money out of your pocket and wastes is on people who don't deserve it. "Spending" as used by conservatives, really mean the use of money to help people. Since conservatives believe in individual, not social, responsibility, they think it is immoral to use one person's tax money on helping someone who should be helping himself. The word "spending" has been used that way so often, that for many people, it always evokes that conservative frame, and, hence, strengthens that frame and worldview that makes sense of it. When Democrats use the world "spending" assuming falsely that it is a neutral economic term, they are helping conservatives.

"Conservatives are trained not to use the language of liberals. Liberals are not so trained. Liberals have to learn not to stick to their own language, and not move rightward in language use. Never use the word "entitlement" - Social Security and Medicare are earned. Taking money from them is stealing. Pensions are delayed payments for work already done. They are part of contracted pay for work. Not paying pensions is taking wages from those who have earned them. Nature isn't free for the taking. Nature is what nurtures us, and is of ultimate value - human value as well as economic value. Pollution and deforestation are destroying nature. Privatization is not eliminating government - it is introducing government of our lives by corporations, for their profit, not ours. The mission of government is to protect and empower all citizens, because no one makes it on their own. And the more you get from government, the more you owe morally. Government is about "necessities" - health, education, housing, protection, jobs with living wages, and so on - not about "programs." Economic success lies in human well-being, not in stock prices, or corporate and bank profits.

"These are truths. We need to use language that expresses those truths."

http://www.truth-out.org/the-new-centrism-and-its-discontents67155

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If only we could rebrand them the "reactionary pigs" they are...what they used to be called...

Instead of continuing to corrupt a word like "conservative" that used to mean something...

[zbdent]

1. Isn't it amusing?

"Social Security and Medicare are earned" ... and that's the way that conservatives and Tea baggers justify themselves indulging in the "socialist programs" ...

[rfranklin]

2. well, if we keep reminding them perhaps they may get it...

eventually.

[Overseas]

3. K&R ! Yes Please !! //nt