The things I do with words are just some antics

[Scuba]

[madokie]

1. words matter

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

10. And most people are dumb as a box of rocks.

[valerief]

2. In the U.S. welfare usually means corporate welfare. nt

[cui bono]

14. In reality, yes. But what I think is happening is the RW has been brainwashed that "welfare"

means those "lazy minorities", you know, the "welfare queens". They think they are "takers" and getting a free ride that they are paying for. And they don't believe that poor white people who get assistance are "lazy", "takers" or "welfare queens". So they think "welfare" is bad but "assistance to the poor" is good.

[valerief]

15. That's true. They have been carefully groomed to think that. nt

[Shandris]

3. This is why I detest 'reframers'.

Use words by their meaning and everyone can have a valid conversation. When no one knows what any word means, nothing is done except the buildup of power in the hands of the already powerful BECAUSE there's no conversation.

Of course, that would mean an honest world and, well, we know that isn't going to happen.

[Jim Lane]

12. There's sometimes a choice between honest descriptions.

The OP's example isn't perfect because one can imagine forms of assistance to the poor that aren't generally considered "welfare" (job training, for example).

Years ago I saw similar poll results:
* "Should a woman have the right to go to a doctor to terminate a pregnancy?"
* "Should a woman have the right to go to a doctor for an abortion?"

To my mind, both of these are honest statements of the question. The percentage of respondents willing to endorse the "abortion" right was considerably less than when that word wasn't used.

I don't see anything wrong with reframing when it means thinking about different, equally accurate ways to state a question and picking the one that will get more people to agree with you.

[cheapdate]

4. I find the collective term "the poor" itself to be problematic.

It kind-of turns people into a faceless abstraction.

"The poor" are people without money.

(Not disagreeing with you, just another comment on language.)

[Nevernose]

9. I think "working class" is both more honest & polite

However, I think there's also too many clueless people out there who have no idea what "working poor" means, but "poor" is damn clear to just about everyone (except GOP politicians, who seem to define it as literally starving in the streets).

[LiberalElite]

5. Not surprising considering

Telling respondents what the Affordable Care Act was about and asking if they liked it - they loved it!
Telling respondents what Obamacare was about and asking if they liked it - they hated it!

[merrily]

6. Great post. I could not agree more that words matter and you've

illustrated your point so effectively.

For some reason, some people tend to get very annoyed if I try to, for example, explain that we are a republic, not a democracy, I guess because "democracy" sounds so much more comforting. I will show them this OP.

[passiveporcupine]

7. Hey, we don't want to support no lazy welfare queens

Especially if they are POC with children...they are just gaming the system, don'tcha know?

What most American's don't know is that more whites get welfare help than POC. And many,if not most welfare recipients are working full time.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

11. Yeah, and where do they get the money for their Cadillacs?

[Iggo]

8. No doubt about it. People are fucking stupid.

[Aerows]

13. Got smacked with something similar!

It was earlier by a rambunctious Clinton supporter.

Let it go.

I am a Bernie Supporter, and don't have to be angry every single second of the day.