If you're a liberal, socialist or communist you don't need to read this. You already know what I am about to say. You do this all the time.
This message is for conservatives.
We conservatives need to start using language more effectively.
Consider. What does the word progressive denote? Let's skip the dictionary definition. In political parlance this means someone of the left. The left has taken a positive word and made it their own. So policies that increase the encroachment of the state into our lives are said to be progressive. Policies that infringe more and more on the liberties of people are promoted by progressives. And, if you oppose such a policy, then you are a reactionary. You are not forward thinking, you are a throwback to the bad old times. You don't want the state reading all of your e-mails and listening to your calls? What have you got to hide? The state has to do this because the state is your sole protector!
Consider also. What is a racist? Or perhaps more accurately, what makes someone eligible to be called a racist?
Today, you are a racist if you are white and are non-Muslim and you dare to question anyone who isn't white or Muslim. You are racist if you say that the abomination that is female genital mutilation, which is widely practised in some countries, is wrong. You are a racist because those countries happen to be Muslim.
You are a racist if you say that Obamacare is a disaster because its chief architect happens to be non-white. You might not mention Obama's colour when disparaging Obamacare. You might try and be clever and restrict your comments to the shortcomings of the internet sign-up process but that won't save you!
You are racist if you dare to question why the organs of the federal state descend upon Cliven Bundy's Nevada ranch, armed to the teeth, over an unpaid tax bill of $1M but let the hate-monger Al Sharpton prowl the networks spouting his anti-white bile, while owing the IRS somewhere north of $1.7M.
Leftists and liberals close down arguments by throwing labels at people, watching them stick and then refusing to debate with a racist or a homophobe or a misogynist or whatever. In the UK and in the USA, you are a racist if you want to even try and talk about immigration. Somehow great swathes of the population, who have legitimate concerns, are labeled racists and, quite naturally shrink back from the debate because, who wants to be called a racist?
Who wants to be associated with the Klu Klux Klan or the Nazi party both of which pushed truly racist - as in racial purity type - policies. Interestingly, the KKK were established by the Democrats (party of the left) in the USA and the name Nazi comes from National Socialists, also of the left!
While we are in a historic moment, think also about how galling it must be for American Republicans to be lectured on racism and called racists by Democrats. The emancipation of slaves in America, came about because of a Republican President with the support of the Republican party and against the overwhelming and unanimous opposition of the Democrat party!
I could go on citing numerous examples of where the left ignores its historical association with failed and wrong policies and now takes the moral high ground but that isn't the purpose of this post.
I think it is time that we started 'flipping' the words and change the terms of debate.
So for example, anyone that promotes stifling debate on immigration - inflows in the UK and amnesty in the USA, is called a reactionary and a racist and is someone that wants to push a reactionary and racist policy. Anyone that wants to talk about these issues is progressive. They want to be seen as thinking of the future.
Low taxes and smallest possible government - that is progressive! Ever higher state involvement in all aspects of life? That is regressive and illiberal!
I hope you get my drift.
From now on, please start throwing those labels right back at the left. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, President Obama, Jay Carney, the Democrat Party or CAIR in the USA and the Labour party, the BBC, UNITE union, the EU and the Lib Dems in the UK - all rabid racists. Reactionaries, every single one of them.
In the 'twittersphere' one see lots of tweets from American conservatives concerned at Obama's attack on the 2nd Amendment (right to bear arms). Some have already got my message. They post pictures of weapons and to the statement - 'ban guns' - the response is 'it's because I'm black, isn't it!' I just love how banning guns can be shown to be racist! More please.
This message is for conservatives.
We conservatives need to start using language more effectively.
Consider. What does the word progressive denote? Let's skip the dictionary definition. In political parlance this means someone of the left. The left has taken a positive word and made it their own. So policies that increase the encroachment of the state into our lives are said to be progressive. Policies that infringe more and more on the liberties of people are promoted by progressives. And, if you oppose such a policy, then you are a reactionary. You are not forward thinking, you are a throwback to the bad old times. You don't want the state reading all of your e-mails and listening to your calls? What have you got to hide? The state has to do this because the state is your sole protector!
Consider also. What is a racist? Or perhaps more accurately, what makes someone eligible to be called a racist?
Today, you are a racist if you are white and are non-Muslim and you dare to question anyone who isn't white or Muslim. You are racist if you say that the abomination that is female genital mutilation, which is widely practised in some countries, is wrong. You are a racist because those countries happen to be Muslim.
You are a racist if you say that Obamacare is a disaster because its chief architect happens to be non-white. You might not mention Obama's colour when disparaging Obamacare. You might try and be clever and restrict your comments to the shortcomings of the internet sign-up process but that won't save you!
You are racist if you dare to question why the organs of the federal state descend upon Cliven Bundy's Nevada ranch, armed to the teeth, over an unpaid tax bill of $1M but let the hate-monger Al Sharpton prowl the networks spouting his anti-white bile, while owing the IRS somewhere north of $1.7M.
Leftists and liberals close down arguments by throwing labels at people, watching them stick and then refusing to debate with a racist or a homophobe or a misogynist or whatever. In the UK and in the USA, you are a racist if you want to even try and talk about immigration. Somehow great swathes of the population, who have legitimate concerns, are labeled racists and, quite naturally shrink back from the debate because, who wants to be called a racist?
Who wants to be associated with the Klu Klux Klan or the Nazi party both of which pushed truly racist - as in racial purity type - policies. Interestingly, the KKK were established by the Democrats (party of the left) in the USA and the name Nazi comes from National Socialists, also of the left!
While we are in a historic moment, think also about how galling it must be for American Republicans to be lectured on racism and called racists by Democrats. The emancipation of slaves in America, came about because of a Republican President with the support of the Republican party and against the overwhelming and unanimous opposition of the Democrat party!
I could go on citing numerous examples of where the left ignores its historical association with failed and wrong policies and now takes the moral high ground but that isn't the purpose of this post.
I think it is time that we started 'flipping' the words and change the terms of debate.
So for example, anyone that promotes stifling debate on immigration - inflows in the UK and amnesty in the USA, is called a reactionary and a racist and is someone that wants to push a reactionary and racist policy. Anyone that wants to talk about these issues is progressive. They want to be seen as thinking of the future.
Low taxes and smallest possible government - that is progressive! Ever higher state involvement in all aspects of life? That is regressive and illiberal!
I hope you get my drift.
From now on, please start throwing those labels right back at the left. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, President Obama, Jay Carney, the Democrat Party or CAIR in the USA and the Labour party, the BBC, UNITE union, the EU and the Lib Dems in the UK - all rabid racists. Reactionaries, every single one of them.
In the 'twittersphere' one see lots of tweets from American conservatives concerned at Obama's attack on the 2nd Amendment (right to bear arms). Some have already got my message. They post pictures of weapons and to the statement - 'ban guns' - the response is 'it's because I'm black, isn't it!' I just love how banning guns can be shown to be racist! More please.
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