I wrote a post about how people use euphemisms to disguise the nature of what they are speaking about or to make objectionable subjects easier to accept. This is one of the primary tools politicians use to manipulate how an issue is defined and discussed. Because of this, I am building a non-partisan political euphemism glossary one term at a time so that you and I can more easily see through the oratory smoke screen. The list may never be complete but will build over time into a reference you can use to filter out the haze and identify a topic for what it is instead of what someone with a political agenda wants it to be.
Glossary
- Pro-Choice
- Pro-Life
- Surge
- Legislatively Directed Spending
- Undocumented Workers
- Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
- Support The Troops
- Energy Recovery
4 responses so far ↓
1 letterhead // Jul 27, 2007 at 9:11 am
Generic definition:
To make wholesale changes to existing policies or
legislation.
Political definitions:
1) to gut or eviscerate existing programs and policies
because a) an aggrieved political heavyweight (and/or donor) seeks more
favorable treatment (see “tort reform,” “Social Security reform,” “Medicare
reform”) or b) because ideological imperatives demand restructuring of
priorities and power dynamics (see: “welfare reform,” “judicial reform”); in
all cases of reform, exemption from tracking consequences of such policy
changes is mandatory2) to evade blame, shift blame, or appear holier-than-thou
(see “ethics reform”)
2 letterhead // Jul 27, 2007 at 9:12 am
ooopsss… forgot to include the word!REFORM!
Generic definition:
To make wholesale changes to existing policies or
legislation.
Political definitions:
1) to gut or eviscerate existing programs and policies
because a) an aggrieved political heavyweight (and/or donor) seeks more
favorable treatment (see “tort reform,” “Social Security reform,” “Medicare
reform”) or b) because ideological imperatives demand restructuring of
priorities and power dynamics (see: “welfare reform,” “judicial reform”); in
all cases of reform, exemption from tracking consequences of such policy
changes is mandatory
2) to evade blame, shift blame, or appear holier-than-thou
(see “ethics reform”)
3 political euphemisms - Dogpile Web Search // Jun 23, 2008 at 1:50 pm
4 calpoet // Jul 19, 2008 at 4:48 pm
The newest and one of the most egregious euphemisms is “time horizon” for deadline.
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