Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Autocrats Language
This is an excerpt from an extraordinary article by Masha Gessen on the New York Review of Books website.
http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/05/13/the-autocrats-language/
As Hannah Arendt wrote,
We know from experience that no one can adequately grasp the objective world in its full reality all on his own, because the world always shows and reveals itself to him from only one perspective, which corresponds to his standpoint in the world and is determined by it. If someone wants to see and experience the world as it really is, he can do so only by understanding it as something that is shared by many people, lies between them, separates and links them, showing itself differently to each and comprehensible only to the extent that many people can talk about it and exchange their opinions and perspectives with one another, over against one another. Only in the freedom of our speaking with one another does the world, as that about which we speak, emerge in its objectivity and visibility from all sides.
Only in the freedom of our speaking with one another. To preserve that freedom, we have to become guardians of our language. We have to keep it alive and working. That means being very intentional about using words. That means, for example, calling lies, lies. I am talking to you, National Public Radio, home to the word misstatement, among others. The NPR argument is that the definition of lie involves intenta lie is a statement made with the intention to deceiveand NPR does not have conclusive information on Trumps intent. The problem is, the euphemism misstatement clearly connotes a lack of intentas though Trump simply took an accidental wrong step. But words exist in time: the word misstatement suggests a singular occurrence, thereby eliding Trumps history of lying. The word misstatement, as applied to Trump, is, actually, a lieas it is the lie that there are neutral words.
Using words to lie destroys language. Using words to cover up lies, however subtly, destroys language. Validating incomprehensible drivel with polite reaction also destroys language. This isnt merely a question of the prestige of the writing art or the credibility of the journalistic trade: it is about the basic survival of the public sphere.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 492 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (6)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Autocrats Language (Original Post)
Mme. Defarge
May 2017
OP
niyad
(113,581 posts)1. k and r
Mme. Defarge
(8,045 posts)2. Thank you!
I posted this yesterday before DU went down, then posted it again today to make sure this insightful piece got some good exposure.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)3. So, through "misstatements" tRump and his minions
attempt to alter objective reality? I think that's why we all respond to his drivel with laughter. It's so obviously false and yet spoken with such sincerity that it sounds half-way between a four year old's reasoning skills and an insane person's ramble.
I do, however, agree that ALL news should use the word "lie". I think that using nicer terms devalues reporting and turns it into farce.