I’m currently reading “The Soviet Tragedy”, I know it’s geeky, but interesting. I came across an interesting passage that caught my eye. The author is discussing the transition from Lenin to Stalin and how Stalin implemented a propaganda state to further the regime. There is a quote from Lenin: “A newspaper is a collective agitator and a collective organizer.” Stalin used this to create a rhetoric for culture. A language was developed to serve this rhetoric – it was essential to the power and goals of the regime. Language had to be politicized since it established the consciousness of the population.
The United States has done the same thing in recent years. Efforts have been made to politicize the language that is used to effectively eliminate rational discourse. Especially now, you look at terms like “liberal”, “conservative”, “socialist”, etc., they are so heavily politicized that it is difficult to carry out an honest discussion as to what is going on. Certain plans are labeled “socialist” and it is said that we are going to become a socialist state if we continue down certain paths. In many ways, we are a socialist society. Many of the programs that have been enacted within the past century are for the betterment of the “common good” – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps, Minimum Wage Laws, Labor Laws just to name a few. The creation and implementation of unions can also be considered socialistic.
We are not a completely capitalist society as many would have you believe – just as we aren’t a wholly democratic society.
Have we really learned from history? Can we start having open and honest discourse without the politicization of the language that we use? Why can’t we be anti-abortion and pro-choice? Can’t we understand that freedom of religion also means freedom from religion?
If we keep politicizing all of the language we will never address the underlying issues that face our society.
