War on Words Shapes Debate, Semantics Is Key To Social Security -WP

[Rose Siding]

President Bush is trying to keep the word "private" from going public.

As the two parties brace for the coming debate over restructuring Social Security, polls and focus groups for both sides have shown that voters -- especially older ones, who vote in disproportionately heavy numbers -- distrust any change that has the word "private" attached to it.

The White House has a logical idea: Don't use the word. This is difficult because, after all, they would be "private" accounts, and Bush's plan would "partially privatize" Social Security.
...
Democrats have their own linguistic problem: They want to banish the term "crisis." Democratic Party leaders are urging members to discuss future Social Security shortfalls as a "challenge" rather than a crisis, and assert that Bush is trying to manufacture a crisis to justify making changes that many Democrats say are unnecessary. The White House has fired back with a transcript showing that President Bill Clinton, during a Georgetown University address in 1998, spoke of "the looming fiscal crisis in Social Security."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28781-2005Jan22_2.html

[shraby]

1. I am sooo tired of "semantics"

wish they'd start calling a spade a spade. The flat out truth is great.

[housewolf]

2. Yeah.... well....

that's one think you'll never get from this crowd.

These days, "the truth" is being detained in a foreign detention camp or prison somewhere, probablly subject to torture but most definitely being abused, probably one of those "ghost detainees" being shuffled about on a phantom jet or unknown ownership.

[LynnTheDem]

3. "semantics" = PROPAGANDA and neither will change the FACT

that bush's "plan" calls for FIFTY PERCENT CUT in benefits for MEN and MORE THAN THAT for WOMEN...that bush's "plan" will DESTROY social security...that bush's "plan" is FAR WORSE for Americans than "doing nothing"...and that THERE IS NO SS CRISIS.

So put them "semantics" up yer arse, bush.

[fshrink]

4. Key to SS is corporate profit. Rest is, well, semantics.

[Robbien]

5. The Democratic Party Leaders talking to the WaPo are out of their minds

urging members to discuss future Social Security shortfalls as a "Challenge" rather than a crisis. Cow patties.

The GOP dropped the word "crisis", dropped it like a hot potato. Now the DLC is saying "lets drop the word crisis (the GOP doesn't like it and we should oblige them) and instead lets use the namby-pansy word challenge".

The Democratic Party needs new leadership.

[Just Me]

6. I thought semantics involved use of language to reflect reality,...

,...at least, that is what I thought semantics was about,...the study of language and its accuracy in defining reality.

However, "language" is being completely corrupted or, at best, misused to manipulate.

MoPaul posted a great thread about all the words rendered meaningless by the neoCONimperialists.

Frankly, I no longer listen to anything those imperialists say because I know they are simply attempting to manipulate others into their small box,...and, although I have peered into that box from time to time, I reject it because it is so freakin' small.