Words Matter: Observations from Ralph Nader

"Ever wonder what’s happening to words once they fall into the hands of corporate and government propagandists? Too often reporters and editors don’t wonder enough. They ditto the words even when the result is deception or doubletalk."

This is the opening insight from Ralph Nader.  He provides an analysis at the euphemisms that the media accepts without critical inspection from the corporations.

"The raging debate and controversy over health insurance and the $2.5 trillion spent this year on health care involves consumers and “providers.” How touching to describe sellers or vendors, often gouging, denying benefits, manipulating fine print contracts, cheating Medicare and Medicaid in the tens of billions as “providers.”"

In my opinion it starts way back in the school system.  We are not taught be critical of society.  Education is more about social promotion and learning.  It led my conflicts so many years ago.  A scary thing is that a lot of those who are in power to make decisions are not there through merit as the myth but through social connections bought on by the right schools and family associations.  These individuals naturally want to advance their social advantage. It is up to the media to confront these areas of privilege but the media has been bought off long, long ago.

"“Privatization” and the “private sector” are widespread euphemisms that the press falls for daily. Moving government owned assets or functions into corporate hands, as with Blackwater, Halliburton, and the conglomerates now controlling public highways, prisons, and drinking water systems is “corporatization,” not the soft imagery of going “private” or into the “private sector.” It is the corporate sector!"

In this Mclite culture of easy sound bites and surface imagery who takes the time to achieve such insights...?..

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