Techdirt: The Moral Imperative Of Clear Language -- Part 1

[ancianita]

"... When Donald Trump posts explicit orders for “REMIGRATION” and “Mass Deportation Operations” targeting American cities because they are “the core of the Democrat Power Center,” that’s not “controversial immigration policy.” That’s mass deportation directed against political opponents.
When federal troops deploy against American civilians exercising constitutional rights, that’s not “enhanced law enforcement.” That’s military occupation.
When the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions gets described as “political polarization,” that’s not nuanced analysis—it’s linguistic evasion that enables the very thing it refuses to name.

The sophisticates hate this clarity. They prefer the safety of euphemism, the comfort of complexity that never quite arrives at moral judgment.
They speak of “concerning developments” and “troubling trends” while democracy burns around them.
They perform nuanced understanding while fascism consolidates power through their very refusal to name it.

Here’s what they don’t understand: authoritarianism thrives in ambiguity.
It requires linguistic fog to operate.
It depends on our unwillingness to call things by their proper names.
Every euphemism is a small surrender.
Every hedge is a tiny collaboration.
Every refusal to speak plainly is a gift to those who profit from confusion...

George Orwell understood this when he wrote that “political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” But he was describing propaganda techniques used by totalitarian regimes. What we face now is worse: the voluntary adoption of euphemistic language by people who should know better, who pride themselves on seeing clearly, who claim to defend democratic values..."

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/07/01/the-moral-imperative-of-clear-language/

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. I endorse this. I often advocate clarity in thinking and writing on DU.

I don't expect this thread to get much traffic because the subject is not simple, though the core is simple.

Clear writing is one way to clarify thinking.

[ancianita]

2. I've gathered that about you and appreciate your whole approach.

Because writing is thinking. If people don't clarify their thinking through reading and writing, authoritarians will do their thinking for them.

Continuing with Orwell below, one can also substitute the word feeling for thought... both feeling and thought are easy to insert into those who prefer to follow, believe, and obey, rather than the adult work of thought.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Unfortunately the way to reach maga is through emotion and dead simple concepts

They don't do nuance and prefer simple wrong solutions to complicated realistic solutions.

One reason they like cruelty is that it is simple.

When "communicating" with maga, one has to find things to agree on, like "billionaires are sucking us dry" and then point out simple facts: the Big Bill takes money from you and gives it to billionaires. They will say "but there is a tax cut!" so say yeah, for billionaires; the Bill continues the current tax rates for the middle class and cuts dramatically benefits for them and the poor.

When the economy depends on labour that is underpaid and undocumented, then any "solutions" are not going to be simple. But we can point out that sudden dramatic drastic actions don't solve it and are going to cost the economy dearly.

[ancianita]

4. Why unfortunately? Isn't what you say working? Or are you doing the heavy thought lifting?

I don't post these things because maga can somehow be linguistically fixed.
They believe in fascism. They just pretend otherwise and will patiently wait you out, knowing their powerful lawless leader and their masked vigilantes will black-hood you when they call this number: 1 866 DHS ICE2

(found that number in maga comments below this video. Maybe the vid was on DU, I don't remember...

This OP is to help us to deal with the 23% who can and will mindlessly end rule of law. RW oligarchs and corporate media don't care enough to help the people, so we will have to do it come hell or high water.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. It is unfortunate 50% are less intelligent than average, given the low state of average as existence gets more complex

maga can't be linguistically fixed but they can be reached on emotional levels because they are and will be hurt by tRump.

[ancianita]

6. I hear you.

Yes, and I suppose we'll be there to explain why they didn't see what hit them.

Unless we're on a database for the final solution. I'm in Florida about 3 hours from there. All I'd have to do is drive down there and I'd get stopped and background checked and detained. And it would take at least three days for anyone in my very christian trump voting community to even wonder where I was, and who would then quickly believe whatever lies they were told.

This fascist disappearing can happen in any state except where blue state governors are on guard.