"...they blur hot button cultural and political definitions with their influence over media in order to stoke the flames."
Yes. This post makes the point that few rightists understand or are willing to accept:
Without their control of the media, the left could not do the damage that it does. Almost everything the cultural Marxists have done could not have been done had they not controlled the mass media.
If we the right DO NOT DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, we will keep losing. And we cannot afford to lose much more, or we will lose everything.
So glad you can see this. I have tried to explain the power of language and definitions to friends and family and some understand this. The word liberal for example has really had its meaning twisted and so instead of debating actual issues we get stuck in a quagmire of what things actually mean. It’s a waste of time and this is by design.
Sharp and necessary explication. Two thoughts. 1) Endless pages of careless statutory language arm lawfare with words to distort, abuse, and exploit. Consistency in the rule of law requires precision, clarity, and brevity. 2) Language evolves regardless, and eventually we battle over Constitutional terms such as "respecting an establishment" and "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." Fixing our spirits will go a long way toward fixing our exchange of ideas and preserving our standards.
From the article we just read: "The horrible people in power are purposely defining these words in loose fashion, and then using those words over and over again like a mantra. It is a technique, like jiu jitsu, used by propagandists on crowds to keep them fighting."
Like myself, the folks who read these comments here and abroad must be saying to themselves, "We know this. We have seen this in modern culture spreading throughout the West. We fully understand the significance and the intent of these actions. It's liberals who need to understand this! Why are 'they' preaching to the choir?"
The point here is that authors, publishers and pundits of free western society are confined to a sympathetic and informed audience. We already have this message clearly understood and accepted.
The problem is that a disproportionately large number of people do not AND WILL NOT read anything from sources opposed to their moral indoctrination and ideology.
We have all heard the expression, "Don't confuse me with the facts,. My mind's made up!" Their thought processes are perpetually in "defensive mode". They cannot see or understand the obvious realities in front of them for fear of having to rethink their core beliefs. We call this "TRIBALISM".
Hi and thank you for your reply! It sounds a bit defensive unless I read it wrong. I agreed with your core message - the people in power frequently take literary license with the meaning of words and through repetition mislead their followers . My intent was to say that the folks who follow these threads already sympathize with the typical moral view expressed in comments made here.
Yes, many open minded people do have a lot figured out because they listen and evaluate opposing views but, not everything . . . no one does. My intended point was meant more as a cry of frustration that this message will rarely gets to the people who need to read it. I don't believe there are a lot of consensus thinkers (liberal minded folks) who read these comments. I thought your core message was right on target. The people who need to read and COMPREHEND IT, are sadly not be in the readership here.
Ah got it. Well this article is really about combatting it better. David Deutsch calls these bad ideas in society “irrational memes” and we must combat them by first understanding the problem (what this article was about) and then using rational memes to change culture. The culture change here is demanding definitions be clarified before agree to contracts, laws, or social contracts.
Activist liberals fully understand the power of word games. The public education system enables the games to be played on the unwitting. Conservatives wring their hands and slowly submit.
Bring back
The Smith/ Mundt act that Obama completely removed.
Allowed the propaganda machine to go into overdrive.
💯
"...they blur hot button cultural and political definitions with their influence over media in order to stoke the flames."
Yes. This post makes the point that few rightists understand or are willing to accept:
Without their control of the media, the left could not do the damage that it does. Almost everything the cultural Marxists have done could not have been done had they not controlled the mass media.
If we the right DO NOT DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, we will keep losing. And we cannot afford to lose much more, or we will lose everything.
So glad you can see this. I have tried to explain the power of language and definitions to friends and family and some understand this. The word liberal for example has really had its meaning twisted and so instead of debating actual issues we get stuck in a quagmire of what things actually mean. It’s a waste of time and this is by design.
Arguments are built on top of words therefore our definitions must come first and must be clear, well understood, and have high confidence scores.
NYT had a pretty good article on this.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/02/world/olympics/boxing-imane-khelif-gender-athletes.html
Allowing Political Correctness to be a thing opened the door to this Mind F ery word salad.
We all know what those words are.
Unfortunately, we have allowed the government to change the definition.
Who knew
Hope And Change meant, radical Marxist Fascism
It’s our own fault for not defining them better
Sharp and necessary explication. Two thoughts. 1) Endless pages of careless statutory language arm lawfare with words to distort, abuse, and exploit. Consistency in the rule of law requires precision, clarity, and brevity. 2) Language evolves regardless, and eventually we battle over Constitutional terms such as "respecting an establishment" and "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." Fixing our spirits will go a long way toward fixing our exchange of ideas and preserving our standards.
From the article we just read: "The horrible people in power are purposely defining these words in loose fashion, and then using those words over and over again like a mantra. It is a technique, like jiu jitsu, used by propagandists on crowds to keep them fighting."
Like myself, the folks who read these comments here and abroad must be saying to themselves, "We know this. We have seen this in modern culture spreading throughout the West. We fully understand the significance and the intent of these actions. It's liberals who need to understand this! Why are 'they' preaching to the choir?"
The point here is that authors, publishers and pundits of free western society are confined to a sympathetic and informed audience. We already have this message clearly understood and accepted.
The problem is that a disproportionately large number of people do not AND WILL NOT read anything from sources opposed to their moral indoctrination and ideology.
We have all heard the expression, "Don't confuse me with the facts,. My mind's made up!" Their thought processes are perpetually in "defensive mode". They cannot see or understand the obvious realities in front of them for fear of having to rethink their core beliefs. We call this "TRIBALISM".
The definition comes first. Arguments are built on top of words. Not vice versa.
You think people have it figured out? Go ahead and attempt to define the words then, and see what the confidence scores are. Your theory is testable.
Hi and thank you for your reply! It sounds a bit defensive unless I read it wrong. I agreed with your core message - the people in power frequently take literary license with the meaning of words and through repetition mislead their followers . My intent was to say that the folks who follow these threads already sympathize with the typical moral view expressed in comments made here.
Yes, many open minded people do have a lot figured out because they listen and evaluate opposing views but, not everything . . . no one does. My intended point was meant more as a cry of frustration that this message will rarely gets to the people who need to read it. I don't believe there are a lot of consensus thinkers (liberal minded folks) who read these comments. I thought your core message was right on target. The people who need to read and COMPREHEND IT, are sadly not be in the readership here.
Ah got it. Well this article is really about combatting it better. David Deutsch calls these bad ideas in society “irrational memes” and we must combat them by first understanding the problem (what this article was about) and then using rational memes to change culture. The culture change here is demanding definitions be clarified before agree to contracts, laws, or social contracts.
Activist liberals fully understand the power of word games. The public education system enables the games to be played on the unwitting. Conservatives wring their hands and slowly submit.
The definition does not define the thing.
We cannot have laws and rules built around cloudy definitions.
Agree!
definition /dĕf″ə-nĭsh′ən/
noun
A statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, or term, as in a dictionary entry.
A statement or description of the fundamental character or scope of something.
The act or process of stating a precise meaning or significance; formulation of a meaning.
Arguments are built on top of words therefore our definitions must come first and must be clear.