Redstate

By TheSophist Posted in The Parties — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

In one of the best blog posts I've read recently, Dafydd over at Big Lizards continues the conversation about our need to start engaging in ideological warfare with the Islamists. That is a fantastic discussion in and of itself. I strongly recommend reading not just that post, but the posts before it that engendered the discussion.

Having said that, I took away a rather different perspective. Just as much as we in the West need to start recognizing that language matters in foreign policy, I am really beginning to think that we conservatives need to recognize the same in political wrangling.

For example, Dafydd writes in a previous post:

Second, it does not suggest caution because of any confusion over the true meaning of jihad, rather because jihad is not a dirty word to Moslems... it's a heroic term. It's every bit as counterproductive as calling insurgents "freedom fighters," when in fact they are bloody-minded terrorists.

Instead, the DHS memo suggests the term "death cultists" -- which can hardly be faulted for refusing to call the enemy what he is. The DHS memo also suggests dubbing terrorists takfiri (when talking to Arabic speakers); takfir is the act of "excommunicating" fellow Moslems for "apostasy." After declaring them non-Moslems, killing them becomes legitimiate, in the eyes of other militants. Takfir is always a horribly negative term in Arabic... unlike jihad, which is generally a positive term (several different meanings, all good).

Again, while what Dafydd is addressing is as serious as any topic can get, I started thinking about all of the times I saw descriptions of "moderate Republicans" and "conservative Democrats" in print. I started wondering why even we conservatives grace the socialists in our political system with the term "liberal".

Just as we cannot be fully effective in fighting what Dafydd has taken to call the War on Global Caliphism without naming the enemy properly, I don't believe we can be fully effective in fighting increasing government encroachment, increasing socialism, and increasing loss of liberty without naming our opponents properly.

Let us henceforth reserve the term "liberal" for those whose position suggests that they care about liberty and freedom. Therefore, I don't mind calling the ACLU a "liberal organization" because despite differences of opinion, the ACLU does still somewhat care about some kinds of liberty.

But "liberal Democrats" are no more liberal than Lenin was. They are socialists, who elevate the state and the power of government above all else, and seek to control the economy, the polity, and society through wielding the power of the state.

Let us henceforth reserve the term "environmentalists" for those who actually care about the environment and our place within it as a part of the overall system. Those who attempt to halt progress and economic development in the name of "the environment" care no more about the environment than they do about economic freedom. They are Gaea Luddites or Earth Cultists for whom the environment is merely a ideological club with which they can bludgeon political opponents -- as evidenced by overwhelming hypocrisy among the "green" activists.

Let us henceforth reserve the term "Mainstream Media" or "MSM" for those who are actually journalists interested in reporting news to the public, whatever their personal political bias. The denizens of the various media organs today are more accurately described as Socialist Propagandists or Public Relations Wing of the Democratic Party.

We cannot accept being called "The Right" anymore when in fact the mainstream Republican opinion is very much centrist as far as American public opinion is concerned. In fact, if we were to rename the parties today, it would not be Republicans and Democrats, but Liberals and Socialists. We care deeply about liberty, personal freedom, and limits on the power of the state; they care deeply about social justice, communal responsibility, and government control over every aspect of life.

The hardcore Leftists among the Socialist party cannot be swayed, of course. But there are millions of Americans who are on the fence, whose hearts and minds we must win. Why call our socialist opponents "Liberals" and grant in the minds of the mugwumps the idea that the Democratic Party gives a hoot about liberty?

We know we cannot expect any support from the Propagandists. But if we ourselves cannot change, and understand the underpinnings of the language we deploy, then our task is made that much more difficult.

-TS