BS: New World Order Newspeak

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Mar 03 - 11:15 PM

Amos..the 'word game' you refer back up there ^ was made famous, if not invented, by the columnist Sidney J. Harris, who would occasionally fill an entire daily column with them.

One I remember (approximately) was "I have the courage of my convictions...YOU are a bit stubborn...HE is a hidebound reactionary."

but the formula is always the same. "He is a tyrannical dictator...YOU are a heavy-handed oppressor ...I am an enlightened leader who dares not leave the governing to lesser men."

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Escamillo
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 12:37 AM

Contribution: how do you call the action of a police officer writing down a ticket for your traffic infringement ? We call it "hacer la boleta".
Well, this was the expression that the military used in Argentina in the 70s, meaning assasination in the dark, or disappearance. 30,000 "boletas" were written down, but the world did not notice. Nobody came to liberate us, perhaps because those killed were considered a "threat over democracy", and the military regime was not very dangerous to other countries... until they decided to put a hand on the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Fortunately the regime fell down by its own corruption and by pressure of the people. A case of "non-viability".

Un abrazo,
Andrés (in Buenos Aires)

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Wolfgang
Date: 24 Mar 03 - 07:20 AM

The art of using euphemisms is neither new nor restricted to governments. I can remember how some left radicals after a demonstration turned violent which left a policeman paralysed talked about 'policemen clapping' (my translation).

Some euphemisms in that process lose the 'eu' (=good) part in that sense that nobody any longer considers them euphemisms. McGrath has made this point already with 'ethnic cleansing' and I agree. I shall give some more examples in which most have forgotten that the word once has started as a euphemism.

Two examples from this thread: electric chair (for a killing machine) and pogrom (why use a Russian word for sectarian/racist mass murder?).

Or: concentration camp
Or: lucifer (bearer of light)
Or: torture

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Sam L
Date: 24 Mar 03 - 09:37 AM

Or "canola" oil, which is actually rapeseed oil.

Or "surgery" which is supposed to sound like a proceedure to benefit a patient, but which is often an expensive and damaging knife-invasion which was not really necesary. "Surgical strike" might be pretty apt, after all, one way or another.

I can't get into the spirit of this, and should probably have left it alone.

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Mar 03 - 02:22 PM

And then, of course, there's life insurance...which is actually death insurance. That one predates the New World Order, though.

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Mar 03 - 06:55 PM

Around our way they say "Oilseed Rape" - and even that is a euphemism of sorts.

I had a colleague once whose husband was a farmer. She told me he delighted in coming in from working when she had her respectable ladies around for tea, and saying things like "I'm thinking of having a little Rape in the top field".

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Kaleea
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 04:15 AM

"New Speak" or "News Speak"?? In the news, reporters want their readers (or viewers) to perceive them to be smart, which isn't very smart. Cause we know that some feller who goes along for the ride in the middle of dubbya's boms aweigh plan just to send us a few pics & speak to us live from the middle of "over there" can't be that bright. Anyhoo, I prefer "redneck speak!"

smart bom: a purdy blonde gal whut iz smart, tew!

take out: ah mon take n go tew Jim Bob's BBQ Joint n Bait shop n git me sum o them thar really greasy BBQ frog's legs!

collateral damage: Thet thar dang blasted no gud horse's p'toot, Bubba Bob dun run hiz trakter inta m' brand spankin' noo 1967 trailer whut I dun jist tuk out a sekund morgeej on t' pay fer m' noo ah-to-ma-teek combinashun beer openin' fishin' pole 'n sawed off!

new world order: Ah heerd tell thet most everbodee in the hole countee iz a gonna take n go tew Jim Bob's BBQ Joint 'n Bait Shop, 'n order 'em sum 'o thet thar speshul o' th' day, Frikaseed Road Kill Sooprize!

terrorism: ah mon take 'n git 'er wrists 'n yank off all 'o them thar high falutin' joolree braysletz she gotted in them thar plastik bubblz frum thet thar machine whut's sittin rite next t' th' bubble gum macheenz at Walmart, mm thin ah mon not let 'er put 'em bak on!

   Thet thar iz eenuff fer now!

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 08:27 PM

By golly, Kaleea, you are right! It is "News Speak". You can hear it every day on CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC.

Another example:

The televised viewing of dead bodies of US soldiers is "disgusting".

The televised viewing of dead bodies of a) Iraqui soldiers and b) Iraqi civilians is....   

a) evidence of the effectiveness of coalition firepower   

b) Saddam's deceitful hate propaganda

It's a good idea to carry a New World Order Manual of News Speak Words and Phrases at all times, so you can keep this stuff straight in your head, and not forget who the good guys are.

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 09:41 AM

Here's some more generalized News Speak stuff...

It is considered very cool at this point to discuss what will be done in reconstructing Iraq by various key players (and good guys) such as the USA, the UK, Haliburton, the U.N., relief organizations, etc...after REGIME CHANGE has been achieved (see News Speak Manual above for full definition of regime change).

It is not considered cool at all to discuss what will be done if regime change does not occur...in other words, if the war somehow fails to achieve its stated objectives and bogs down...or, God forbid, fails entirely...or even mutates into a wider conflict, ultimately threatening many nations!

This is not discussed much at all, because it is unthinkable to the good guys. Besides, the "bad guys" are outnumbered 85,000 to one in high tech firepower, so how could it possibly go awry, right????

Therefore, do not discuss it. Don't even think about it. Forget I even mentioned it! Whew! (wiping sweat off brow)

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 03:15 PM

"That is hypocrisy, intended to shape public opinion. Children are usually rather good at picking up hypocrisy, and they see a lot of it. That's why so many of them go through a bitter, angry phase when they hit the teenage years. They have good reason to be angry with the adult world. It lies to them every day of their lives. "

The odd thing, Little Hawk, these children grow up to do and promulgate the very same thing. This is nothing new, of course.

I read once that withholding bad news or tragedy from the old folks is unnecessary- they've imagined or heard it all.

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 06:18 PM

You're quite right, Ebbie. That's what generally happens. And so, "the sins of the fathers are passed on to the sons, even to the 7th generation".

It's very sad.

I think it's because most young people simply give up at a certain point and decide "I can't beat 'em, so I'll join 'em" (specially under the pressure of needing MONEY).

I never did that. I've been an outsider all my life. I still feel just as rebellious and outraged at common hypocrisy and moral decay as I did when I was 18...but I'm a whole lot more confident now about how to cope with it, how to be independent of it, how to survive, and how to still make a good life for myself...and for a few others too, along the way.

I can't offer a nutshell primer on how to do it for anyone else, though. Everyone has to find their own unique way to be a real thinking and caring human being instead of an enslaved corporate robot. (Ever read "Dilbert"?)

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Sam L
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 08:59 PM

Ebbie, Little Hawk,
Have you ever seen Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers? Babies are pods. What happens is, you go to sleep with a baby in your house, you wake up different. You don't remember. You wonder what you used to do with all your time. You start urging your friends, Come, be like us, it's better this way.

You really don't have to be hypocritical with kids, but you'll be wrong no matter what you do. I'm okay with that, I'm pretty happy with the deal. It's good to be around people of different ages, I've discovered, older and younger, and try to keep up with both.

I've watched a little news, since my previous posts, and it is pretty disconcerting, not just the news, but the news speak. Still, it's impossible, I think. How would you report this stuff without spinning it somehow? It can't be done. I think they're scared of sounding critical, or opposed, maybe because many or most of them are. The whole idea of journalistic objectivity is problematic, at best, and here it is on pretty thin ice.

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Metchosin
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 01:13 AM

I was watching a Discovery Channel programme this evening that included a demonstration of high tech C Rations, including a small thermite heating pad to heat the food. The manufacturer or distributor of the stuff, kept saying they were for our "war fighters".....What's wrong with the words "soldiers" or "troops"? He sounded like a four year old with a limited vocabulary.

I can understand words designed to sanitize or mislead, but what's this supposed to do?

Subject: RE: BS: New World Order Newspeak
From: Little Hawk
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 08:27 AM

You're right, Fred. I knew by the time I was 18 that I didn't want to have or raise any children, and I didn't. It's very tough not to get locked into the system when you have kids (not impossible, but tough...). And you're right that it's almost impossible not to spin the war reporting. Good insightful comments all around...

- LH