They dont just control the language, they control the topic.

How do you tell someone making $10 an hour at the local mini mart that handing more money to billionaires wont actually improve their life?

I mean, when they BELIEVE that it will, how do you reverse that?

to understand it.

Taxes! Republicans spout anti-tax rhetoric, people naturally agree, because no one wants to have money taken from their pay checks to go to the 'government'. That is where they think it goes. They think it is all going to pay for 'wellfare queens' another phrase from the right word spinners.

The fact is most of it goes to WARS overseas. Wars that do not benefit the American people, if anything they make them LESS safe.

So clearly Dems have done a terrible job of explaining this. IF we cut the Military budget in half, we would not have to raise taxes to pay the miserable amount that goes to Education, by comparison, and to HC and other social programs.

So how do you frame this?

I have to go back and look through the threads, but there is a chart that shows were the money goes.

I think putting that chart on t-shirts and posters, all over the place, would educate people as to where their tax dollars ACTUALLY go.

Once they understand that, and that they have been lied to regarding SS etc. in a very simply WORDLESS way, Graphically, then perhaps it would be possible to come up with some phrases that are catchy and appeal to the people.

Maybe focusing on one issue and figuring out how to beat the rhetoric from the right would be easier than making it so general.

THEN use the same method for other issues.

IF the issue to be framed is about taxation
it should be in the context of the overarching
VALUES of the Populist/Progressive narrative.

Simply creating "breakouts" of where taxes are spent
does little to reinforce the values expressed in said spending,
from the Populist/Progressive perspective.
.
For example, many citizens believe military spending IS
a worthwhile "value" and that spending supports the narrative
of being patriotic. In essence, saying there is too much military
spending may reinforce Left-leaning values, while reinforcing
the right-wing frames and narrative that Left-leaning people
are weak and unpatriotic. Make sense?

As to "taxes" and spending, the framing should carefully
reinforce a Populist value system while weaving a larger
"Public interest" narrative. It needs to cut across partisan
ideological lines to avoid reinforcing the current right-wing narratives.

that are told.

Maybe if people looked at the chart they would at least begin to wonder why all that money is going to private contractors, security corps who spend more of their time spying on Americans than on the 'enemy'.

And polls show that Americans do not approve of its government spying on them.

And the lack of money spent on the troops who are the reason for any support for military spending.

Maybe showing them the facts about the troops themselves, one third of all homeless people ARE veterans eg.

I believe those right wing think tanks have concluded that they have far more success when they reach people on an 'emotional' level.

If it isn't already an emotional issue for these people who wave the flag and yell about 'supporting the troops', it should be.

So 'Why does the US Military Complex NOT support its own veterans'?

To be honest I've had right wingers stop to actually think about that and some even agree. Not the most rabid, who we don't need anyhow, but the more rational of them.

The simple reality is that people respond emotionally.
The who, what, how and why regarding "supporting the troops"
or how taxes are being spent is nearly irrelevant to changing
the minds and perceptions of the public.

Yes, the right-wing lies.
And there is no way to talk right-wingers
into or out of "beliefs" they hold.

The national conversation needs to change.
It needs to move away from partisan issues
and into larger, more inclusive issues that will
provide a surge and momentum to challenge
the status quo.

Populism can be that new conversation.
renew the New Deal, strengthen social safety net,
make connections where divisions exist.
End the destructive practice of "wedge politics".
Populism IS the 99%.

Populists should get familiar with the players
and their playbooks if they hope to defend themselves
against the coming onslaught of propaganda in the next election.

Frank Luntz is a Kochtopus' hired gun/wordsmith.
He's been bashing Democrats for several election cycles
with various levels of success.

Read how he twists language to fit the right-wing Orwellian POV.

The "wordsmiths" WILL label you, malign Democrats,
and steal the next election if we can't recognize their propaganda.

Listen to this interview of Frank Luntz
from NPR, Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

If Luntz's word twisting doesn't raise your blood pressure you may not
have a pulse... and EXPECT him next election, working for the Kochtopus.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6761960

When 6 corporations own 80%+ of the media. And most of the ignorant people watch faux and are guided by hate and racism.

First things first,what are the values, the "narrative"?
Next, how to "frame" those values to support the "narrative".
Finally, communicate.

For instance; the right-wing narrative is "they" are the "real Americans"
They frame Democrats as "traitors", "unpatriotic", "weak".
This frame and narrative keep the right-wing "base" confident and assured
that no matter what the politicians do, to or for them, it's the "right thing" to do.
That specific framing keeps right-wing voters, voting against their own interests...
because, right-wing voters don't want to "feel" weak, unpatriotic or traitorous!

The MSM dominate traditional media, not social media
AND, MSM invites social media participation.

The fact that anyone believes the party that starves people, takes their pension after 30 years of work, denies healthcare and unemployment, pays people slave wages could have any values really defies logic to me.