From Michael Walsh:
One of the things that has gotten America into such cultural and moral trouble is the Left’s ability to seize and transform words into what they would like them to mean, instead of what they actually do mean. So powerful has this movement been, so successful, that perfectly innocent words like “stereotype”—and morally positive words such as “discriminating”— have taken on an entirely negative connotation, while formerly negative terms such as “tolerance” have instead been elevated to cardinal virtues. – “Zero Tolerance for Tolerance,” – Michael Walsh 4/24/22
‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.’
‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’
‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master – that’s all.’ – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, 1865.
Edited to add this example:
And one more:
This isn’t new…..Hitler’s sycophant Goebbels was a master at it. Shakespeare was among history’s best. The issue isn’t that it happens. The issue is that people do this and GET AWAY WITH IT. Unless and until they start suffering real, painful personal consequences then there is no reason to cease abusing, mutating, contorting and altering language for political reasons.
Long before “discrimination” became pejorative, the words “judgmental” and “judgement” had been determined by the collectivists to be negatives.
This is only natural for them, since judgement is what allows thinking human beings to make correct decisions. It’s part of what separates humans from animals, and allows us to correctly discern silly things like being able to judge what is food, and what is poison. It also aids thinking human beings to correctly decide what works with human nature (free-market capitalism, rule of law, property rights, etc.) and what aids and abets that which brings out the worst in human beings in terms of desiring power and control (collectivist, statist, authoritarian systems).
Therefore judgment and discrimination must be eliminated from culture, since otherwise people will use these capabilities to castigate the collectivists and proceed with systems that use freedom and liberty in conjunction with personal responsibility.
The control of The Narrative by the left is nearly total. Of course, with the leftist leaning media and tech companies that’s nearly inevitable, but it’s just as important a thing to overcome as it is difficult to overcome.
I’m from Florida. The majority of the population polled, including Democrats, were in favor of the bill restricting teaching transgender ideas to children under the third grade – that’s under age 8 – but the Narrative called it the “Don’t Say Gay” law and that stuck better than any glue. Everyone from the morons at the Oscars to President Dementia and Press Secretary Chucky refer to it as that.
That total control is what has to be defeated. I just don’t have much of an idea how.
Well, Elon bought Twitter. The Florida legislature passed the bill, and then stripped Disney of its special tax protections in Florida. Parents are standing up in school board meetings and objecting to the grooming of their children. Leftist media is losing viewership by leaps and bounds. (CNN+ failed catastrophically after a $300 million investment, Netflix stock has crashed, etc.)
There’s some reason to hope. I just hope it’s not too little, too late.
I wonder how the repeal of the Disney exemptions will fare in court, as it was clearly done in retaliation for Disney’s speech on a political issue.
That being said, it is otherwise appropriate to say, “You can’t use our own money to criticize and oppose us.”
“…for retaliation for Disney’s speech on a political issue.”
I can see it argued that way, but the State Legislature has the power to tax, and Disney was a remarkable exception to the general rule.
Any time you put a modifier/qualifier in front of the word ‘justice’, you no longer have justice.
(J)ustice is justice, whereas “social justice” is code for one set of rules for the rich, another for the poor; one set for whites, another set for minorities; one set for straight men, another for women and gays. In short, I pointed out, it’s the opposite of actual justice. — Burt Prelutsky, Me and the Rotarians.