George Orwell warned about language being used to disrupt communication. How can society solve problems if language is modified in a way to confuse communication? Perhaps that is the goal...
Constant word redefinition, or elimination of certain words are traditional methods used by power grabbers. Samuel Adams warned in 1776, “How strangely will the Tools of a Tyrant pervert the plain Meaning of Words!"
Did you know that the National Archives actually posted “Harmful Content” warnings on our Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and other founding documents in their digital collection???
We must not aid today’s tyrants by using the words they dictate that we use! George Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay, “Politics and the English Language” that the worst thing one can do with words is to surrender them. He protested not just sloppy use of language, but intentional misuse of language for political purposes.
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable,” Orwell warned, adding “Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.”
Don’t surrender your words, they are powerful weapons in the arsenal of free speech, and free speech is essential to freedom. It is a self-evident truth.
“Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government: When this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins.” - Benjamin Franklin
8 Comments