There are few things I hate worse than catchphrases or memes - the oft repeated set of words that vested interests and Republicans insert into their spokesmodels or coin-operated politicians to repeat over and over and over again.
The Daily Show's frequent outing of the use of them (clip after clip of various very serious and important people saying the exact same thing) hasn't lessened their use one bit.
That tells me that neither shame or humiliation are going to stop them being created by the Frank Luntz's of the world or end their sickening overuse.
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You know what I'm talking about:
"Up or down vote"
This is in frequent usage when there's a Republican President and the GOP wants all their nominees or legislation to sail right through Congress at the speed of light. It's never, ever heard when the President is a Democrat and every single nominee for whatever position are endlessly held up and legislation is strangled by whatever means are possible (or even impossible to comprehend).
While I'm not in favor of catchphrases or memes, maybe Obama might get a few more nominees or bills through if Democrats used this strategy (even once?). It would be nice if our side would even try that (and maybe that will discourage usage in the future).
"Entitlement Programs"
Nothing makes Republicans more happy than trying to turn something they don't like into what looks or sounds like it might be "welfare".
Never mind that "welfare" doesn't exist anymore (which is why there are so many homeless people today). It's the Republican belief of welfare where lazy moochers sit on their sofas and watch their 150" flat screen TeeVees when they're not driving their brand new, fully loaded Cadillac Escalades to go cash their Welfare Check that's paid for by the hard-earned dollars of hard-working, law-abiding taxpaying 'Muricans (did you spot the additional catchphrases and memes there?).
Yuppers! Just the thought of tax dollars being wasted is enough to gin up the public (do NOT look at the Pentagon, military contractors, our plethora of foreign military bases, intelligence/surveillance complex, no-bid contracts, endless wars or anything else that enriches a corporation, industry or billionaire).
They really don't like Social Security and Medicare. Not. One. Bit. Not since either of them came into existence. After all, there's money to be made with all those dollars by the health insurance and financial industries. So why not privatize those programs and then some of those dollars can accidentally find their way back into the campaign coffers of certain, unnamed political parties and coin-operated politicians?
Since they couldn't stop them at their birth (or pre-birth - hmmmm, would that be the GOP actually favoring abortion?) and the programs are so popular, the only way to privatize them would be to demonize them as "welfare". They can't call them welfare, though, because that would cast all those Republican voting senior citizens as lazy moochers, so they just sort of/kind of make it "sound" like welfare.
Whenever I hear it, I always respond by saying that they ARE entitlement programs the same way that I'm entitled to go to the bank and withdraw money from my checking or savings account. Shuts them up pretty fast, too.
"I am not a scientist"
The current dreadful meme in over-usage. It's designed to make the politician who says it look less stupid then they are when they deny that climate change is a real thing with really serious consequences that's caused mostly by our massive use of fossil fuels.
Yes, they do look less stupid, but tend to look more cowardly since they are clearly indicating that they are not interested in either discussion or facts. After all, it's not about science or the evidence we can see with our own eyeballs. It's about serving the fossil fuel industry and all the coin they insert into campaign coffers (also jobs after a politician gets tossed out on their ear or decides to leave office and "cash out").
Worse than the meme, though, is the complete failure on the part of an interviewer to go any farther. "We'll be right back after this break". Or "we'll have to leave it there".
Noooooo! We're not leaving it there. Dude just dropped a turd in your punchbowl and you're just leaving it there? Let me help our clueless media with some follow up:
"I'm not a doctor, which is why I go to the doctor and take his or her opinion very seriously. I'm not a lawyer either, so I hire a lawyer for any legal concerns. I'm not a pharmacist, so instead of just grinding up a bunch of herbs and spices to treat myself, I get my prescription filled.
Shouldn't be all be doing this with the opinion of 97% of all climate scientists?"
Actually, the earth will be fine. It will be the creatures on it that will be in serious trouble.
So what's the meme or talking point you hate the most and what counter do you recommend for it?
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Naturally, disaster always strikes me. I'm going to look out the window in case a tornado or hurricane or malfunctioning airplane is coming