Projection

You may disagree with some of the conclusions, but this is a reasoned article:

Projection

The other day, I started a blog post about rhetoric that wound up all rambly and somewhat incoherent. I had been thinking about the endless discussion in the press about the “incursion” into the Capitol building on January 6. Or the “riot” that had taken place that day. Or the “insurrection” that h…

Although not the focus of the piece, I found this discussion especially interesting:

I used to do these kinds of exercises with my students a lot…what’s the difference between a “clan chief” and a “warlord”? Well, if he’s on your side he’s a clan chief. If he’s on the other guy’s side he’s a warlord. In American domestic politics, what’s the difference between “special interests” and “interest groups”? Nothing. Again, it just depends on which group you favor. If you like the groups’ goals, they’re just an “interest group”. If you don’t agree with their goals, they’re a “special interest.” Rhetoric is used to paint a mental image using words. “Special interests” and “warlords” are BAD. “Interest groups” and “clan chiefs” are GOOD. I always think of George Carlin’s routine about baseball versus football (if you’ve never heard it, go find it. It’s hysterical and a good lesson in rhetoric).

As I’ve said, the true measure of a person is not how they treat their friends, but how they treat their enemies. That includes the words you choose to describe them, their actions, etc.

P.S. So you don’t have to look up the video… 🙂