The abuse of words
Republican is not synonymous with evil in 2023.
Sometimes a writer, daydreamer, gets lost in one’s thoughts. A mysterious time travel experience occurred to me. I have related it. A writer, daydreamer is often described as a worthless good for nothing, not able to exist in the real world, this is also true.
Now in the year of 2029, we have many good folks who are upset. I would reckon most anyone who puts words on a page, or remotely direct pixels, has encountered someone who objects to a word usage. I prefer hillbilly English and allow intrusive Rs to slip into my speech; this makes me especially vulnerable to stirring the coals of outrage. The highly offended people throw in snide replies, less occasionally write letters with stamps attached. Being among the olds, I remember in 1969 Zager and Evans sang, “in the year 2525, if man is still alive.” I blissfully thought yes, we are building a better world. Also in 1969, the original Star Trek was cancelled; the concept of a better future has faded away as did my acne. A better world was abandoned after it was projected to cut into corporate profits and reduce stock prices. Hence CEO compensation would decline and the world order crumble. People left desperate are more easily hornswoggled.
Language uses words, but language is different than words. Language conveys culture. Language is communication, can include gestures and signs. When it flows together with another language it merges and blends as two rivers joined. Words naturally evolve and have etymologies to trace. Words have a natural life cycle. A word comes into use, its meaning changes over time. It can become arcane and anachronistic, as I have in my life’s journey. Over my lifetime words have developed new foes. Word manglers and those who neuter words are now a privileged class. They are hired to protect the wealth of the few. Wealth does desire to keep its hands invisible. It does not seek free markets, nor is any freedom the goal. Wealth’s hirelings exist to turn our debates meaningless without consequence. Freedom, the word, is brandished by those who worship authoritarianism. The oligarchs seek to control other’s thoughts, behaviors, even breath itself. Serious informed policy discussions are controlled by being trivialized. Vague words convey vague notions. Real words can be manipulated to have no meaning. Meaningful issues become vapid. The use of trigger words to arouse prejudices can spark emotion to end any debate. Keeping government ineffective is the goal of the wealth class and the job of the word manglers.
The word manglers have twisted, bent, melted down, and recast the words of our language. On abortion, for instance, the label for a movement has transitioned from anti-abortion, right to life, pro-life, now pro-baby. They seek not to care for children but want effective messaging. People favored estate taxes but label them death-taxes and the opposition became overwhelming. I think the proper usage of a word should not be condemned, but it will. I was criticized for using the word retard. I did not use it to refer to a person or as a pejorative. I used it as defined to retard the erosion of a riverbank. Growing up I would hear mechanics speak of retarding the spark. Then of course there is niggardly. I grew up in a rural community. All the folks had come through the Great Depression. I knew my share of skinflints and the way they paid wages was indeed niggardly. Now once again I may stop using a word because it triggers too many. I would simply not be heard when using it. The howls of complaint would be too loud, and my historical context simply lost. I suppose it is curmudgeonly of me to expect readers to know histories and etymologies and to read words as they are defined or know events as they happened. History is packaged and sold, either by the pundits, message massagers, or entertainment peddlers. Now it is the word Republican, one can cast no lower slur than to label someone a Republican. I knew many who proudly claimed to be a Republican when I grew up. I thought them a step behind the times, but they were marching down the same road to that better future. Now Republican has little to do with the history of a political party; it conjures the ghosts of domestic terrorists, theocratic rulers, persecutors of the weak, and torturers of the troubled. It is the new pejorative replacing the term Nazi of my time. Nazis were simply the Nazis, but as they died off Nazi became the new smear the triggering word to end rational discussion. Republican has become the new Nazi; the conquering slur to end any argument. Still Lincoln was a Republican, an honorable man, a great president. That is history and people should see the course of events has transformed a political organization called Republican. It does not change Lincoln, Grant, or Teddy Roosevelt. They were men of higher character than the 21st Century rabble. These more modern scalawags have made Republican the offensive term it is today. It didn’t become the unspeakable word until it became the silver bullet to end any candidacy. When it became the curse of losers then it became time to invent new words. There are many well-heeled word manglers working on a new name. I would suggest the Great American Revulsionists. Of course, I was never a Republican. Even when the party was made up of decent men, mostly men, I found they lacked vision. I am not a well-heeled wordsmith nor a part of the elite wealth class. Not my job or my concern, but I do regret Republican has become such a scurrilous word.
One could ask how this has come to be in 2029. History has repeated; a party has willing committed great atrocities because they were made fearful. They were proud of heritage, one based more on propaganda than history. They were just doing their job afraid they would lose rank or status if they protested. They were just ordinary people unconcerned by extraordinary crimes. Now I cannot use a legitimate historical word without creating a great offense. Ah so it is, always the plight of a writer or a worthless good for nothing. Possibly even part of the vermin.
Chris Hayes — Rachel Maddow discuss Prequel — Same theme of the future of Republican Party by an examination of our past. The satirical projection into the future was to be a warning to all but the GOP enablers in particular. Obviously, not obvious to all —
Written by Steve Davis — ShireSteve on substack, shiresteve.substack.com shiresteve.blog
Now back to helplessly watching the insanity of our current world. Climate should the first priority of every policy. Novel Solace of Solitude is available on Apple Books & Kindle — search for ShireSteve