The Language of Politics

NSF Press Conference on Endangered Languages

Ethnologue World Map

Jesus Film Project World Map

I am having difficulties naming one of the groups of arguments in my project.

The basis of this particular argument is that regulating hate speech would be great ideally but would not be feasible in terms of policy implementation or would just create a backlash and thus foster more hate.

This group is set up in opposition to the group called "1st Amendment Absolutists" and has some ideologies in common with the other group in favor of regulating hate speech.

I thought about calling them "realists" or "practicalists" but there are many meanings for those terms and I don't know if that would be "proper" usage. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Uncensored project now available.

hi folks,

so I have attached a rough map of one of the sides of the debate surrounding hate speech regulation in the U.S. (be it legislation or just speech codes.) i welcome comments and suggestions! Does anyone know how to embed it as an image on the blog?

Orwell writes about ways in which the English language is used and how it has allowed various realms, especially the political, to thrive. He states that metaphors, scientific language, and foreign phrases, contribute to vague and meaningless conversation. By referring to bombings or other acts of war as "liberation attempts" or other such nonsense, it makes it easier for the public to be controlled.

His ideas are sound, but times exist when such language is necessary. Imagine a job interview where someone was completely honest and did not make their faults appear to be good things. For example, I worked my last job for seven years. I received an interview with a new company and she said, "Well, it seems like they did not treat you very well." I replied, "Regardless of how they treated me, they taught me everything I know and for that, I will always be grateful to them." If I had replied fully truthfully, as opposed to bullshitting just a little bit, the poor woman would have received a barrage of misdoings and wrongs that I was the brunt of, and I would not be employed.

http://www.dailyreckoning.com/rpt/LegendsOfTheFall.html

This film consists of a speech by Arundhati Roy (hailing from India, she is one of the foremost voices of anti-imperialist thought) that took place months after September 11th, prior to the Iraq War, and a moving collage of images and video clips, contributed by an anonymous author.  The result is at most compelling, if not revolutionary; and at least, free.  You can watch it here:
http://www.weroy.org/watch.shtml

This article is a response to those who found Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" to be relevant.  While I don't mean to undervalue the importance

Are there readings for this week!? I don't see any listed for week 8....