Double-Speak

Quote :

"Double-speak is language designed to evade responsibility, make the unpleasant appear pleasant, the unattractive appear attractive. Basically, it's language that pretends to communicate, but really doesn't. It is language designed to mislead, while pretending not to."

- WILLIAM LUTZ

Doublespeak



American Newspeak



Doublespeak Defined



Weasel Words: The Dictionary of American Doublespeak



The New Doublespeak



Quarterly Review of Doublespeak
http://www.chiprowe.com/magrev/
this great newsletter is no long published, but you can still find remnants such as the list of winners of its annual double speak award (the first was Colonel David H. E. Opfer,USAF Press Officer in Cambodia, who told reporters after a U.S.bombing raid: "You always write it's bombing, bombing, bombing.It's not bombing! It's air support!"). Edited for many years by straight talker William Lutz, this newsletter documented the use of creative euphemisms by politicians, public officials and other people with something to hide. Readers submitted news reports that include doublespeak, and there were always plenty of examples.A Canadian military spokesman calls a helicopter crash a "departure from normal flight." The National Agricultural Chemical Association changes its name to the American Crop Protection Association. Soap dispensers become "hand cleansing systems."Logging companies no longer "bulldoze," they "access timber." O.J.'s defense team uses the term "maritaldiscord" instead of wife-beating. The U.N. sends troopsfor "armed humanitarian interventions." The University of California at Berkeley now has a "department of human biodynamics" (formerly physical education). Prostitutes are "commercial sex workers." A Washington middle school calls its hallways "behavior transition corridors."Belts are made of "genuine simulated leather." You can find more of these examples in Lutz' book The New Doublespeakand Doublespeak Defined,a similar book called Weasel Words: The Dictionary of American Doublespeak and at sites such as AmericanNewspeak (which is also a book).

A double speak word or maybe not but one that frustrates me, either way "Global". Why the change from world to global? I mean we have the biggest wars ever called World War I and World War II. Why didnt they call it global war I and global war II. Why the sudden change from world to global. You see it all the time, global interdependence, global economics, global peace force, global warming, global climate change, etc... Was something wrong with the word world to describe these things? Does global sound more benign? Is it designed to soften up peoples minds because globe is associated with a little ball with a map on it? Is the word World to masculine to be using in the context of government? Which one sounds more nefarious to you Global Government or World Government? From my observations of the news and talking to people the word world is hardly used anymore. Maybe I'm making a big ado about nothing from others point of view, but I dont think this word was spontaneously used, I think it was repeated over and over for a purpose. What do you think?

I'm thinking this over and will let you know if I come up with anything, ST.

Maybe it's the friendly 'roundness' of the word?? Nah.

stilltrying,

Just what you asked about--all about the nuances of the word "global."
Good catch!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/janetdaley/6845967/Therell-be-nowhere-to-run-from-the-new-world-government.html