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McCarthyism Lives In The Word Games of Republicans |
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Politics has always been a game of language, but it seems that the Republicans have gotten very good at it.  They have become the masters at making subtle changes in language that prey on the public’s prejudice and ignorance - such as calling Iraqi insurgents “terrorists” in order to falsely link them to Al Qaeda.
But perhaps their most devious language shifts have to do with domestic policies. Their tactic is to make Democratic initiatives sound like Communist plots to take over America - one piece of social legislation at a time. Take health care reform, for example. Here’s what Rudy Giuliani had to say about Democratic plans for universal health coverage:
The American way is not single-payer, government-controlled anything. That’s a European way of doing something; that’s frankly a socialist way of doing something. That’s why when you hear Democrats in particular talk about single-mandated, universal health care, what they’re talking about is socialized medicine.
In addition to having xenophobic overtones, comments like these are just plain wrong.  Dr. Ron Chusid writes on the Liberal Values blog:
Whenever Democratic health care proposals are raised, conservatives start screaming “socialized medicine†- but none of the Democratic proposals fit this by any reasonable definition of the term. Many conservatives reflexively refer to any Democratic proposal as socialism, even when their proposals are more consistent with the free market than the corporate welfare policies of the GOP.Â
In reality, what the conservatives brand as “socialized medicine” are any proposals that threaten to curtail the profits of companies such as Pfizer and Aetna - and their protection of these corporations means that millions of low-income Americans do not receive the care they need. And health care is just the tip of the iceberg.
In 1965, LBJ initiated the “War on Poverty,” which included a number of new programs such as Head Start, food stamps, work study, Medicare, and Medicaid. This initiative certainly had its problems, but it did succeed in cutting the poverty level in half - a fact which is seldom reported today. Instead, Republicans have stopped calling social programs such as these the “War on Poverty,” now employing the more pejorative terms “class warfare” and “redistribution of wealth.”Â
Again, these are largely innacurate words that carry strong Marxist overtones, designed specifically to deceive and alarm the voting public.  SInce the Reagen administration, when “class warfare” came into popular usage, social programs have been consistently cut.  We are now seeing poverty levels on the rise again as taxes are being cut for the wealthy elite.  In an amazing turn of events, the conservatives have successfully manipulated the language to make the noble task of reducing poverty seem like the most foolish and un-American of pursuits.
The question, then, is how can we neutralize the deceptive manipulations? How can we make fighting poverty and economic injustice seem cool again? How can we make sure that the American public is aware of the greedy corporate agenda that lies behind the conservatives’ subtle word games?
this stuff drives me crazy–a McCain supporter recently referred to “socialist Marxist Democrats” (whatever that means) in asking a question to McCain at an event, and McCain didn’t dispute her slur
personally, I think it’s useful to (a) point out R hypocrisy (McCain recently called for a large government bounty to be rewarded for invention of a new automotive battery–is that a socialized energy policy?) (2) forcefully reject slurs against Ds (as you do here) and (c)point out media double standards–what would happen if Obama went along with a supporter who referred to “fascist Nazi Republicans”?
Bah. B.S.
Dems used to openly advocate “socialized medicine” — but when they couldn’t get American’s to buy into it they had to rename it with a “newspeak” euphemism: “Universal Health Care.”
The same with basic “class warfare” previously openly called “redistribution” in order to sell it to the public they had to rephrase it with the Orwellian “War on Poverty.”
So how about let’s come up with a more appropriate name. Instead of “socialized medicine” let’s call it “Government Enforced Purchase of Private Health Insurance” (aka “Fascist/Corporatist Medicine” — for the benefit of the Medical/Industrial/Insurance Complex).
And after that, why don’t we use the government to force people to do a lot of other purchases as well… Maybe a “Government Enforced Disney DVD Subscription” or heck why not even a “Government Enforced Bi-Annual Automobile Purchase” (that could save Detroit and thousands of UAW jobs, and get rid of all of those nasty old cars!)
Obama’s current health plan is not socialized medicine, and neither does it force anybody to buy health insurance (that was his chief difference with Hillary Clinton). Yes - there have been Democrats in the past advocating plans more like socialized medicine - but that is not happening now.
Why, then, are Republicans still calling it such? Because it plays on the fears and ignorances of the American public who can only see in stark black and white terms.