Hobbit
02-21-2007, 03:46 PM
Rush Limbaugh once said that "Words have meaning." The following terms have a true meaning, and a new meaning slowly thrust in by somebody else to subtely convince you of something you probably don't believe.
"Fortunate" (including multi-word terms such as 'less fortunate')
What it means - According to Webster, fortunate means 1. bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain or 2. receiving some unexpected good
What others use it to mean - Whenever you hear somebody referred to as 'less fortunate,' you can bet that that means this person has less money and fewer of the things that money can buy than your average, middle class family. This term is a misnomer, as the poor are there as a result of their own decisions and the outcome is definitely foreseen as certain and is most certainly NOT unexpected. The 3 year old kid whose crack-addicted mom spends all of his food money on crack, forcing him to steal kibble from the dogs is less fortunate and should be yanked from that home and given to somebody willing to give a damn. The mother is not 'less fortunate,' she's a moron and probably gets more than she deserves through charity and welfare. The term 'less fortunate' is used to instill in you the idea that your economic status is the result of nothing more than random chance. After all, those who realize that they actually earn their money are less likely to feel good about it being forcefully seized from them and given to crack-addicted moms who feed their children dog food.
"Income Redistribution"
What it means - The entire statement is fallacious, as in our society, income is not distributed, it is earned. That being said, it cannot be redistributed.
What it means when you hear somebody say it - Socialism. It has many names, but that's what it is. 'Income redistribution' is yet another way to desensitize you to the fact that you earned your income. By referring to how it's 'distributed,' people using this term play to the idea that if you're rich, you don't deserve it. It, once again, makes you feel better about the fact that the government is forcefully seizing your money so they can buy votes from people who hate you for being successful.
"Government Dollars" and other variations on this term
What it means - It means dollars that belong to the U.S. government.
Why it's used - Uneducated people tend to think of the government as a bottomless wallet, and never give a second thought to the fact that they pay taxes. If the politicians said what these really are, taxpayer dollars, some people might get pissed that their money is being spend to pay for such works of art as "Piss Christ" and the 'poem' in my sig. The term 'government dollars' is designed to get you to think of it as their money, when, in fact, it's supposed to be YOUR money that they use with your permission.
"Working Class"
What it means - Anybody who has a job.
What liberals want it to mean - Anybody who has a crappy job because they never finished high school. You will often hear people refer to the 'working class' when they're talking about people in the lower income brackets. They get away with this because people in the lower income brackets do a lot of physical labor. They get paid less than those who do more mental labor because mental labor is in higher demand. Thus, those who want the votes of this group of people call them the 'working class' to imply that those people who earn money by attending 4+ years of college and using their brainpower aren't really working, and thus don't deserve that money, all the more reason for those politicians to take the money from the evil rich and give it to the 'working class' who they say deserve it. This brings me to the next term.
"Filthy Rich"
What it means - A rare oddity of a rich person who has not recently showered.
What people think it means - They're not sure. When asked to define the difference between rich and 'filthy rich,' they can't come up with an answer that doesn't require to state that they think some people make more money than any one person should be allowed to have. Sometimes, it's used as a term of endearment or comedy, or to add emphasis, but at its core, it's just another negative tag on the rich.
"The Poor"
What it means - Those who don't have much
What people think it means - Those who have less than their neighbors. The truth is that the average 'poor' person in America has cable, the internet, and a cell phone, not to mention a higher standard of living than the average European. Not the average poor European, but the average European. If you want to see somebody who's actually poor, look at places like Uganda and Somalia, where there might be days between meals. That's poor.
"Obscene Profits"
What it means - Ill-gained profits, or profits displayed in an obscene manner (e.g. $100 bills arranged in the shape of a curse word would be obscene profits.)
How people use it - Well, to target corporations, of course. If a business is successful, they make profit. If the business is very successful, it makes a large profit. If people think they need what the business sells and the business makes a big profit, that's seen as an 'obscene profit.' The average American, if asked, thinks it would be fair to keep 20 cents of every dollar flowing through the company as profit. Exxon keeps around 10. Wal-Mart keeps somewhere between 1 and 3. Only banks have profit margins bigger than 20%. Oh, and ask somebody who uses the term 'obscene profits' what a profit margin is and you'll likely draw a blank. Successful companies make a lot of money. Stop whining and buy some stock.
"Price Gouging"
What it means - Raising prices above that set by supply and demand, using means other than market forces to ensure that you sell it anyway.
What people think it means - Raising prices in response to increased demand. If there's a hurricane and everybody needs batteries, but the price doesn't change, scare-mongers will likely have all the batteries by the time you get to the store and nobody's going to pick up the pace to bring more. If the price goes up, people think twice about buying more than they need, and entepreneurs drive into the area with more batteries, knowing they can make a profit while supplying you with what you need.
"Hate Speech"
What it means - Expressing your desire that someone change occupations to propping up a tombstone
How people use it - To mean disagreeing with a group they like. Disagreement is not hate. It never has been. Even if it was, such unpopular things like actual hate speech are protected by the United States Constitution, and if you don't like what I say, then say so. It's your right, but calling a desire to see an end to affirmative action or disagreeing with the idea of gay marriage an act of 'hate' is an easy way to say that you don't really have an argument and must fall back on name-calling in a desperate attempt to get your opponent to back off. Hint: It won't work with me, because I like to call BS on 'hate speech.'
"Undocumented Worker"
What it means - A person who does any form of work without that work being recorded.
What it has replaced - It is now the PC term of choice to refer to what was once called an 'illegal alien,' which is also a misnomer. The people who are referred to as 'undocumented workers' break the law on a daily basis, have no intention of leaving, and demand our culture be changed to serve them. They are not 'undocumented workers' or even 'illegal aliens,' they are 'criminal invaders,'
And last, but not least:
Neo-Con
What it means: Short for neoconservative, which is a former Democrat who has abandoned the Democrat Party due to recent insanity and has officially joined the Republicans, though he still maintains his stances on big government and high spending.
How it's used: It's the adult equivalent of 'doo-doo head.' Nobody knows what it means. Nobody cares what it means. It's just something you call somebody when you don't have a valid argument against them. You always know you have won an argument when the person arguing with you calls you a neo-con. If they call you a neoconservative, there's a change they might actually be using the term correctly.
Well, that's all I could think of. Many of these are Boortz's 'trigger words,' but all are pet peeves of mine. As this is a message board, I encourage you to comment on this and add any I missed.
"Fortunate" (including multi-word terms such as 'less fortunate')
What it means - According to Webster, fortunate means 1. bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain or 2. receiving some unexpected good
What others use it to mean - Whenever you hear somebody referred to as 'less fortunate,' you can bet that that means this person has less money and fewer of the things that money can buy than your average, middle class family. This term is a misnomer, as the poor are there as a result of their own decisions and the outcome is definitely foreseen as certain and is most certainly NOT unexpected. The 3 year old kid whose crack-addicted mom spends all of his food money on crack, forcing him to steal kibble from the dogs is less fortunate and should be yanked from that home and given to somebody willing to give a damn. The mother is not 'less fortunate,' she's a moron and probably gets more than she deserves through charity and welfare. The term 'less fortunate' is used to instill in you the idea that your economic status is the result of nothing more than random chance. After all, those who realize that they actually earn their money are less likely to feel good about it being forcefully seized from them and given to crack-addicted moms who feed their children dog food.
"Income Redistribution"
What it means - The entire statement is fallacious, as in our society, income is not distributed, it is earned. That being said, it cannot be redistributed.
What it means when you hear somebody say it - Socialism. It has many names, but that's what it is. 'Income redistribution' is yet another way to desensitize you to the fact that you earned your income. By referring to how it's 'distributed,' people using this term play to the idea that if you're rich, you don't deserve it. It, once again, makes you feel better about the fact that the government is forcefully seizing your money so they can buy votes from people who hate you for being successful.
"Government Dollars" and other variations on this term
What it means - It means dollars that belong to the U.S. government.
Why it's used - Uneducated people tend to think of the government as a bottomless wallet, and never give a second thought to the fact that they pay taxes. If the politicians said what these really are, taxpayer dollars, some people might get pissed that their money is being spend to pay for such works of art as "Piss Christ" and the 'poem' in my sig. The term 'government dollars' is designed to get you to think of it as their money, when, in fact, it's supposed to be YOUR money that they use with your permission.
"Working Class"
What it means - Anybody who has a job.
What liberals want it to mean - Anybody who has a crappy job because they never finished high school. You will often hear people refer to the 'working class' when they're talking about people in the lower income brackets. They get away with this because people in the lower income brackets do a lot of physical labor. They get paid less than those who do more mental labor because mental labor is in higher demand. Thus, those who want the votes of this group of people call them the 'working class' to imply that those people who earn money by attending 4+ years of college and using their brainpower aren't really working, and thus don't deserve that money, all the more reason for those politicians to take the money from the evil rich and give it to the 'working class' who they say deserve it. This brings me to the next term.
"Filthy Rich"
What it means - A rare oddity of a rich person who has not recently showered.
What people think it means - They're not sure. When asked to define the difference between rich and 'filthy rich,' they can't come up with an answer that doesn't require to state that they think some people make more money than any one person should be allowed to have. Sometimes, it's used as a term of endearment or comedy, or to add emphasis, but at its core, it's just another negative tag on the rich.
"The Poor"
What it means - Those who don't have much
What people think it means - Those who have less than their neighbors. The truth is that the average 'poor' person in America has cable, the internet, and a cell phone, not to mention a higher standard of living than the average European. Not the average poor European, but the average European. If you want to see somebody who's actually poor, look at places like Uganda and Somalia, where there might be days between meals. That's poor.
"Obscene Profits"
What it means - Ill-gained profits, or profits displayed in an obscene manner (e.g. $100 bills arranged in the shape of a curse word would be obscene profits.)
How people use it - Well, to target corporations, of course. If a business is successful, they make profit. If the business is very successful, it makes a large profit. If people think they need what the business sells and the business makes a big profit, that's seen as an 'obscene profit.' The average American, if asked, thinks it would be fair to keep 20 cents of every dollar flowing through the company as profit. Exxon keeps around 10. Wal-Mart keeps somewhere between 1 and 3. Only banks have profit margins bigger than 20%. Oh, and ask somebody who uses the term 'obscene profits' what a profit margin is and you'll likely draw a blank. Successful companies make a lot of money. Stop whining and buy some stock.
"Price Gouging"
What it means - Raising prices above that set by supply and demand, using means other than market forces to ensure that you sell it anyway.
What people think it means - Raising prices in response to increased demand. If there's a hurricane and everybody needs batteries, but the price doesn't change, scare-mongers will likely have all the batteries by the time you get to the store and nobody's going to pick up the pace to bring more. If the price goes up, people think twice about buying more than they need, and entepreneurs drive into the area with more batteries, knowing they can make a profit while supplying you with what you need.
"Hate Speech"
What it means - Expressing your desire that someone change occupations to propping up a tombstone
How people use it - To mean disagreeing with a group they like. Disagreement is not hate. It never has been. Even if it was, such unpopular things like actual hate speech are protected by the United States Constitution, and if you don't like what I say, then say so. It's your right, but calling a desire to see an end to affirmative action or disagreeing with the idea of gay marriage an act of 'hate' is an easy way to say that you don't really have an argument and must fall back on name-calling in a desperate attempt to get your opponent to back off. Hint: It won't work with me, because I like to call BS on 'hate speech.'
"Undocumented Worker"
What it means - A person who does any form of work without that work being recorded.
What it has replaced - It is now the PC term of choice to refer to what was once called an 'illegal alien,' which is also a misnomer. The people who are referred to as 'undocumented workers' break the law on a daily basis, have no intention of leaving, and demand our culture be changed to serve them. They are not 'undocumented workers' or even 'illegal aliens,' they are 'criminal invaders,'
And last, but not least:
Neo-Con
What it means: Short for neoconservative, which is a former Democrat who has abandoned the Democrat Party due to recent insanity and has officially joined the Republicans, though he still maintains his stances on big government and high spending.
How it's used: It's the adult equivalent of 'doo-doo head.' Nobody knows what it means. Nobody cares what it means. It's just something you call somebody when you don't have a valid argument against them. You always know you have won an argument when the person arguing with you calls you a neo-con. If they call you a neoconservative, there's a change they might actually be using the term correctly.
Well, that's all I could think of. Many of these are Boortz's 'trigger words,' but all are pet peeves of mine. As this is a message board, I encourage you to comment on this and add any I missed.