All the left has done is taken Goebbles Big Lie theory and stretched it out a bit.
If you do not have clear definitions of what a word means, torture for example, and what it does not mean, you cannot use it correctly. The Left hates hard, clear definitions. That being the case the word then becomes meaningless. Once the word is meaningless, anyone can ascribe it to any situation.
With that accomplished, the left takes the word and uses it in their greatest pasttime, demagoguery. People hear the word Torture, and think horrible things. However, the meaning has been so cheapend that while headlines scream "Kennedy calls for closure of US Torture Prison in Iraq" the actuality is not what an average person would consider torture.
But most people do not read the whole article. Most only read the headline and come away with the opinion that we are probably using bamboo shoots under the fingernails on the prisoners in Gitmo or Abu Grahib. This process turns people's opinions against the President / Government when they really should not be. It's why the informed people are conservative and the uninformed are libs.
With the current cheapening of the word torture, I could reasonably describe flying coach from NY to LA as torture. I could describe not getting a seat on the LIRR as torture. I could call anything that bothers me torture. The word has lost its power due to the Left's incessant usage of it outside of where it really belongs.
I completely agree with the article. Words are a powerful tool and when certain words are watered down, any type of commentary can become acceptable or believable. That's why pro-abortion groups choose to use the term "pro-choice". It just sounds so much more acceptable to people. Twist the meaning of words and brainwashing can be so much easier to achieve. This article was a real wake up call for me.