Posted on 11/04/2004 4:31:04 PM PST by oblomov
The radical Right is acutely aware of cases where the general public has progressive values and would ordinarily reject their agenda. The Right’s approach to such cases is deception, often through the use of Orwellian language — language that means the opposite of what it says.
For example, the term compassionate conservatism is used because leaders on the Right have traditionally been considered mean and lacking in empathy toward people who are needy, poor or oppressed. The term compassionate suggests that conservatives do care about such people, although their policies go in exactly the opposite direction. And indeed, certain conservative theorists are open as to what compassion is to mean, namely that removing “interference,” especially by the government, allows disciplined people who are seeking their self-interest to become prosperous.
This use of language is no accident.
Frank Luntz and his associates are well paid to devise such language. What does Luntz advise?
In a recent version of their regularly updated language manual, there is a chapter titled "The Environment: A Cleaner, Safer, Healthier America". In it, Luntz acknowledges that the scientific evidence does not support the conservative position on global warming. What does he suggest?
"The scientific debate is closing [against us] but not yet closed. There is still a window of opportunity to challenge the science."
And Luntz is listened to.
This strategy has been adopted in how the Right talks about the “Clear Skies Act,” which increases pollution and mercury contamination, and the "Healthy Forests Act," which permits clear cutting and the destruction of forests.
This is part of a major strategy. The radical Right knows that it does not have a majority that accepts its worldview. If most Americans really believed what the radical Right does, no resort to such distortions would be necessary.
This is crucial for progressives to understand, because Orwellian language reveals weakness.
Progressives commonly wring their hands in despair when conservatives use Orwellian language. They shouldn't. The use of Orwellian language signals to us where conservatives are weak. Forget that their deceptiveness is immoral. The point is that they are weak and are revealing their weakness. If they had public support, they could freely call their initiative the Dirty Skies Act.
Progressives can use the Right’s Orwellian weaknesses to our advantage. We can focus the public’s attention on it by highlighting the discrepancies between what the radical Right says and what it does. Do not hesitate to rename their Orwellian legislation. For example:
This is utter cr**, of course, but worth keeping an eye on because of this group's influence.
What influence. Soros spent a small fortune and it didn't do S***. the lefties always have an inflated view of their influence.
Help help, I'm being oppressed!
The Rockridge Institute is a group of distinguished scholars and researchers working to help achieve a just, democratic, environmentally sustainable, and humane society. We are a non-partisan 501(c)(3) research and educational institution, and do not endorse or oppose any particular candidate or party.
Rockridge works to:
* Reframe the terms of political debate to make a progressive moral vision more persuasive and influential.
* Develop public policies that will bring us closer to a society that embodies this vision.
* Unify progressives around a shared political program and a common moral language.
* Build links with activists, policymakers, the media, academics, and other key groups to influence the public agenda.
Over the last three decades, a well-organized and well-funded conservative movement has appropriated fundamental American values and language, from freedom to compassion to patriotism, and redefined them from a conservative perspective. By defining the language of public discourse, they have set the parameters of the political debate, even though a majority of Americans continue to reject much of the conservative worldview and its policy implications. The right has used the support of a dense network of think tanks, intellectuals, and policy analysts, to articulate its moral vision, disseminate it to the public, and translate it into public policies. More on the Rockridge mission.
We are grateful to the Open Society Institute, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the Women Donors Network and MoveOn.org for providing us with funding that enables us to begin our work. Several individual donors have also made important contributions. We are seeking additional funding to advance the Rockridge mission.
These people strike me as intellectually vapid. The right rarely uses orwellian phrases, while the libs live off them. First off, WE are not communists parading their crapola through "patriotism", WE are not the ones referring to aborted babies as "products of conception". I could go on but I am getting sick just thinking about these godless animals.
The founders of Rockridge are distinguished scholars and researchers from the University of California representing a variety of disciplines (including cognitive science, sociology, law, history, linguistics, women's studies, and public health). Its Senior Fellows have a track record of nationally recognized research, political engagement, and commitment to social justice.
In other words, they are agents and dependents of the administrative state dedicated to self-preservation.
so-called social justice = communism
Yeah, this guy has a bad case of projection -- a common lib phenomenon.
"leaders on the Right have traditionally been considered mean and lacking in empathy toward people who are needy, poor or oppressed."
er no - should read: "leaders on the Right have traditionally been labelled as mean and lacking in empathy by sophists and demogogues on the Left"
Once more, another "intellectual elite" who is neither.
Yes, like when they refer to the reduction in the GROWTH of entitlement spending, as a "cut".
Exactly what he's accusing conservatives of doing.
Help, help, I'm being nausiated!
Radical right this, Radical right that.
They still don't get it.
I hope they never do.
Yeah, the right is so darned weak they won the presidency, more seats in the House and Senate, with a hefty 3.5 million votes over what the 'rats could dig up. That's a weakness I can live with!
In other words, they believe the Whorfian hypothesis that all thought is due to language, that all reality is socially (and thus linguistically) constructed. Thus the failures of the left do not need to be acknowledged and learned from, merely "reframed" into successes.
I'm gonna find some email addresses and flame these people in an intelligent way....LOL
I laugh at these so-called scholars. Knowledge alone is nothing; much less knowledge that is mixed with much flawed and corrupted ideas, and so-called 'scientific' studies.
The proper application of true knowledge is what brings wisdom. These liberal 'scholars' are nothing but blind, confused fools who want to promote a God-less, marxist ideology.
These fools are the ones that use all kinds of names to cover their real and final goals.
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