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Along with the usual New Year’s resolutions about exercising, getting more sleep, and being more patient with the kids, progressives should add better communications to their list. We have an historic opportunity to frame the public debate this year in terms of social justice, human rights, and opportunity for all. But that requires being smarter and more deliberate in the way we talk about the nation’s priorities and future. At the very least, we need to stop using certain words and phrases that erode support for progressive values and policies. Here’s my list. I’ll ask for yours at the end of this post.1. The Market. Building public support for a more fair economic system requires highlighting the fact that the economy is a set of human-made rules, systems, and structures, not an autonomous organism or an unbridled force of nature. Referring to bankers, CEOs, and other financial actors as "the market" obscures that reality, and reinforces the conservative notion that economic regulation is a hindrance rather than a crucial part of the rules that govern a just society. Instead, let’s clearly identify the people and institutions that are at work—for good or for ill—in our economic system. Instead of “regulating the free market,†let’s talk about “rules that hold banks accountable†or “consumer protections.â€2. Entitlements. When used to refer to safety-net protections, the term “entitlements†suggests handouts and dependency rather than a societal investment in shared prosperity and economic independence. It also obscures the tremendous subsidies and other benefits that corporations and the wealthy receive through other channels. Let’s instead call popular programs like Social Security and Medicare by name, while challenging “public service cuts,†and supporting “economic security policies.â€
Read the rest here:http://opportunityagenda.org/stuff_not_sayCan't win over the people? Just change the wording! Yeah, that oughtta work.
Here I was hoping for honest introspection. Maybe that they'd resolve to stop using phrases like dog whistle or stop referring to reckless government spending as investments. Instead, we get this garbage.
