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Showing posts from October, 2004

A Few Good Words

Wednesday, October 27, 2004 A Few Good Words By Christina Waters, AlterNet. A new book offers a provocative lens through which to reconsider words suffering from deft right wing manipulation. "At this moment, peace, that word so glibly appropriated by all sides, feels soiled, tired, and beaten-up." So says artist Sushma Joshi, summing up the reaction of many Americans battered by escalating political rhetoric. "Security," writes journalist Mary Louise Pratt, "is one of those words, like 'celibacy' or 'short' that invokes its opposite. As soon as you mention security, you suggest there's a danger, or a potential danger. Otherwise the subject wouldn't be coming up. So talking about security is one of the most effective ways to cause fear." More and more words have acquired strange, new inflections. "Imagine you are a U.S. state governor or corporate CEO who wants to slash spending, fire employees, close branches or plants, and a