Vocab Corner: is an attempt to explain what journalists really mean when using various media buzzwords.
This is essentially a dictionary of charged words, words with underlying connotations, doublespeak issued by politicians, or attempts to reconcile fact with rhetoric.
For example, President Bill Clinton is often referred to as a "liberal," despite the fact that most of his actions as president have been between conservative and moderate. So evidently, in Mediaspeak, "liberal" must mean "one who's political values are as far left as middle-of-the-road."
Conservative-[con serv' a tiv], 1. adj. A religion that, like Christianity, takes some elements from it's holy text ("The Wealth of Nations"), while ignoring many of the portions which contradict the individual's belief: that the pursuit of obscene amounts of wealth is universal, natural, unstoppable, and in the best interests of all involved. 2. n. One who holds consevative beliefs.
Cult-[kult], n. A group of religious devotees (often living communally) whose non-Christian beliefs are wrong, bad, and/or dangerous. All members are either physically prohibited from leaving, or have been brainwashed into staying. The media's demonization of "cults" helps to enforce mainstream values and boost feelings of confidence and righteousness in non-"cult" members. See also: Cult Leader
Cult Leader-[kult lee' dur], n. The leader, founder, and/or adviser of a cult, who by definition is insane, power-hungry, sexually-deviant, dangerous, powerfully "charismatic" (allowing s/he to "trick" members into joining), and wrong.
Democrat- [dem o' crat], n. See Republican.
Drug Czar-[drug' zar'], n. 1. The great, white, male, non-drug-taking businessman-knight appointed by the Puritan God On High to protect lily-white children all over the United States from all demonic, evil drug-pushers (the true heirs to the Worldwide Communist-Atheist Conspiracy). 2. The sanctimonious, self-righteous puppet figurehead of the white quasi-legal racist Christian US crusade known as the "War on Drugs". A position with the explicit and supra-constitutional firepower to wage war anywhere at anytime. See also: Drugs, Drug War.
Drugs-[drugz'], n. Controlled substances which are illegal according to U.S. law. These include, but are not limited to: marijuana, LSD, cocaine and its derivatives, amphetamines, heroine, opium, etc. All drugs are extremely harmful and addictive, even if they're not. Alcohol and tobacco are not drugs, even though they are harmful, addictive, and lead kids into using harder drugs more frequently than marijuana. People who use or sell drugs are either evil pushers, or poor helpless victims of evil pushers. See also: Drug War, Drug Czar
Drug War-[drug' war'], n. 1. A righteous program supporting the moral White Christian right of the United States to wage war internally and externally anytime it sees fit against the twin demons of 'the international drug cartel' and 'the American dope pushing underground'; also, the bottomless tax-based funding program supporting this omni-directional, tireless warfare. 2. A huge US military / corporate welfare funding campaign with appropriations covering undeclared wars against citizens of all nations, including undesireable (primarily young and/or minority) US citizens, as defined by randomly assembled paramilitary, police, intelligence and military operatives. Also, a slush superfund of corporate welfare. See also: Drugs, Drug Czar
Economic Reform- [ek o nahm' ik ree form'], n. A plan to "save" the economies of backwards countries who are just now catching on to the miracles of capitalism and free enterprise. Economic reform usually results in an increase in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and is therefore a good thing. It is usually achieved by restructuring policy to encourage foreign investment (e.g., destroying social programs, worker rights, environmental and saftey regulations, replacing subsistence farming with cash-crops for export farming). These policies have some drawbacks (e.g., rampant unemployment, economic exploitation, general misery for the vast majority of the population, etc.), but they are trivial and need not be mentioned in relation to such economic prosperity and success.
Illegal Immigrants- [ee lee' gul im mi grantz], n. Poor Mexicans who are in some inexplicable way destroying America. They steal sought-after (minimum wage and below) American jobs like picking vegetables in the hot sun, or cleaning up after white people. Obviously, they must be stopped.
Liberal- [li' bur ul], 1. adj. The radical, immoral belief that the government should serve the interests of the middle and lower classes. Often the death knell of a political career. 2. n. One who holds liberal beliefs. Moderate- [maw' dur at], n. 1. The belief that things should saty just as they are, with large concessions to conservatives, and mild concessions to liberals. 2. One who holds moderate beliefs.
Public Diplomacy-[pub' lik di plo' muh see], n. Not often seen in the news; when is it used, it generall is a filler word without much meaning. In governmental circles, the word refers to a massive propaganda/psyops campaign, like those used against foreign populations by the CIA, but waged against the citizens of the United States to change public opinion into what the government wants it to be. The term was first used when the Reagan Administration attempted to drum up suuport for their illegal proxy war against the Sandinsta government of Nicaragua in the 1980's.
Reform-[ree form'], v. A plan pushed by politicians that will somehow make things better, even if the plan is not explained, or even if no one knows what is meant by "better." Formerly, reform was achieved through progressive legislation to protect the public from the wealthy and powerful (e.g. child labor laws). Now reform is brought about through legislation that demolishes older prgoressive legislation, benefitting the wealthy and powerful (e.g. welfare reform).
Republican-[ree pub' li kan], n. See Democrat.
United Nations-[yoo nie' ted nay' shunz], n. A benevolent coalition of all national governments, largely funded and staffed by the United States and other wealthy Western powers. The UN's decisions are always right and moral, except when the decisions are made by the majority, those poor-sport, anti-American, poverty-stricken nations, who are bitter that the West has stolen and exploited the Third World's resources fair and square, or when those decisions are against the wishes of the United States. Decisions to condemn the actions of the United States never ever happen, except when they do, in which case they are evidently so unimportant that they deserve no press coverage.
Welfare- [well' fare], n. Money taken from hard-working white Americans, the majority of which is given to lazy black women who are poor mothers and have too many children. Does not include money taken from hard-working Americans and given to wealthy white businessmen. Anyone who is on welfare is unemployed only because they haven't been trying hard enough, not because the Federal Reserve Board's anti-inflationary policies which keep unemployment around 6%.
This is essentially a dictionary of charged words, words with underlying connotations, doublespeak issued by politicians, or attempts to reconcile fact with rhetoric.
For example, President Bill Clinton is often referred to as a "liberal," despite the fact that most of his actions as president have been between conservative and moderate. So evidently, in Mediaspeak, "liberal" must mean "one who's political values are as far left as middle-of-the-road."
Conservative-[con serv' a tiv], 1. adj. A religion that, like Christianity, takes some elements from it's holy text ("The Wealth of Nations"), while ignoring many of the portions which contradict the individual's belief: that the pursuit of obscene amounts of wealth is universal, natural, unstoppable, and in the best interests of all involved. 2. n. One who holds consevative beliefs.
Cult-[kult], n. A group of religious devotees (often living communally) whose non-Christian beliefs are wrong, bad, and/or dangerous. All members are either physically prohibited from leaving, or have been brainwashed into staying. The media's demonization of "cults" helps to enforce mainstream values and boost feelings of confidence and righteousness in non-"cult" members. See also: Cult Leader
Cult Leader-[kult lee' dur], n. The leader, founder, and/or adviser of a cult, who by definition is insane, power-hungry, sexually-deviant, dangerous, powerfully "charismatic" (allowing s/he to "trick" members into joining), and wrong.
Democrat- [dem o' crat], n. See Republican.
Drug Czar-[drug' zar'], n. 1. The great, white, male, non-drug-taking businessman-knight appointed by the Puritan God On High to protect lily-white children all over the United States from all demonic, evil drug-pushers (the true heirs to the Worldwide Communist-Atheist Conspiracy). 2. The sanctimonious, self-righteous puppet figurehead of the white quasi-legal racist Christian US crusade known as the "War on Drugs". A position with the explicit and supra-constitutional firepower to wage war anywhere at anytime. See also: Drugs, Drug War.
Drugs-[drugz'], n. Controlled substances which are illegal according to U.S. law. These include, but are not limited to: marijuana, LSD, cocaine and its derivatives, amphetamines, heroine, opium, etc. All drugs are extremely harmful and addictive, even if they're not. Alcohol and tobacco are not drugs, even though they are harmful, addictive, and lead kids into using harder drugs more frequently than marijuana. People who use or sell drugs are either evil pushers, or poor helpless victims of evil pushers. See also: Drug War, Drug Czar
Drug War-[drug' war'], n. 1. A righteous program supporting the moral White Christian right of the United States to wage war internally and externally anytime it sees fit against the twin demons of 'the international drug cartel' and 'the American dope pushing underground'; also, the bottomless tax-based funding program supporting this omni-directional, tireless warfare. 2. A huge US military / corporate welfare funding campaign with appropriations covering undeclared wars against citizens of all nations, including undesireable (primarily young and/or minority) US citizens, as defined by randomly assembled paramilitary, police, intelligence and military operatives. Also, a slush superfund of corporate welfare. See also: Drugs, Drug Czar
Economic Reform- [ek o nahm' ik ree form'], n. A plan to "save" the economies of backwards countries who are just now catching on to the miracles of capitalism and free enterprise. Economic reform usually results in an increase in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and is therefore a good thing. It is usually achieved by restructuring policy to encourage foreign investment (e.g., destroying social programs, worker rights, environmental and saftey regulations, replacing subsistence farming with cash-crops for export farming). These policies have some drawbacks (e.g., rampant unemployment, economic exploitation, general misery for the vast majority of the population, etc.), but they are trivial and need not be mentioned in relation to such economic prosperity and success.
Illegal Immigrants- [ee lee' gul im mi grantz], n. Poor Mexicans who are in some inexplicable way destroying America. They steal sought-after (minimum wage and below) American jobs like picking vegetables in the hot sun, or cleaning up after white people. Obviously, they must be stopped.
Liberal- [li' bur ul], 1. adj. The radical, immoral belief that the government should serve the interests of the middle and lower classes. Often the death knell of a political career. 2. n. One who holds liberal beliefs. Moderate- [maw' dur at], n. 1. The belief that things should saty just as they are, with large concessions to conservatives, and mild concessions to liberals. 2. One who holds moderate beliefs.
Public Diplomacy-[pub' lik di plo' muh see], n. Not often seen in the news; when is it used, it generall is a filler word without much meaning. In governmental circles, the word refers to a massive propaganda/psyops campaign, like those used against foreign populations by the CIA, but waged against the citizens of the United States to change public opinion into what the government wants it to be. The term was first used when the Reagan Administration attempted to drum up suuport for their illegal proxy war against the Sandinsta government of Nicaragua in the 1980's.
Reform-[ree form'], v. A plan pushed by politicians that will somehow make things better, even if the plan is not explained, or even if no one knows what is meant by "better." Formerly, reform was achieved through progressive legislation to protect the public from the wealthy and powerful (e.g. child labor laws). Now reform is brought about through legislation that demolishes older prgoressive legislation, benefitting the wealthy and powerful (e.g. welfare reform).
Republican-[ree pub' li kan], n. See Democrat.
United Nations-[yoo nie' ted nay' shunz], n. A benevolent coalition of all national governments, largely funded and staffed by the United States and other wealthy Western powers. The UN's decisions are always right and moral, except when the decisions are made by the majority, those poor-sport, anti-American, poverty-stricken nations, who are bitter that the West has stolen and exploited the Third World's resources fair and square, or when those decisions are against the wishes of the United States. Decisions to condemn the actions of the United States never ever happen, except when they do, in which case they are evidently so unimportant that they deserve no press coverage.
Welfare- [well' fare], n. Money taken from hard-working white Americans, the majority of which is given to lazy black women who are poor mothers and have too many children. Does not include money taken from hard-working Americans and given to wealthy white businessmen. Anyone who is on welfare is unemployed only because they haven't been trying hard enough, not because the Federal Reserve Board's anti-inflationary policies which keep unemployment around 6%.
