“Codeword” Update
Once upon a time (like the last 20 years), the Codeword was "Bipartisan". What was really meant by "Bipartisan" was that the Democrat party gets their way 98%, and the Republicans get 2% of what they wanted. If the Republicans wanted a more fair deal, they were NOT "Bipartisan".
The new Codeword is "Divisive". As Kate at Small Dead Animals points out:
Note how frequently "progressives" from Obama on down (to, say, a Toronto Star writer I argued with recently) now use the word "divisive" as a prejorative.
Why is divisiveness a bad thing? Why is "unity" always a good? Aren't the "issues that divide us" precisely where our principles and passions lie?
Obama's right: Jerry Falwell was a divisive figure. So was Abe Lincoln (and NO, I'm not equating the two…)
Are progressives trying to smuggle a more insidious concept into public discourse by using the word "divisive" as an insult?
Conisdering the alternatives:
- Nationalized Healthcare
- Destroying the Economy to fight Global Warming
- Open Borders and Amnesty for Illegals Aliens
Yeah, I'll go for Divisive.
On June 26, 2007 at 12:53 pm, PerriNelson wrote:
Kate asks: Are progressives trying to smuggle a more insidious concept into public discourse by using the word "divisive" as an insult?My response is that’s exactly what they’re trying to do. They have a tendency to attempt to usurp the meaning of language and to imply that anyone that doesn’t agree with their agenda is not only misguided, but evil.
On June 28, 2007 at 7:34 pm, Playin' Possum wrote:
Oh shit, Perry… Neoconservatism is the pinnacle of linguistic corruption… If the so-called "progressives" are doing anything thy are fighting for honest definitions.
And BTW… "Open Borders and Amnesty for Illegals Aliens" is the shrub’s idea…