http://www.ambitgambit.com/2008/06/16/putting-the-wowser-into-rudd/ Ambit Gambit Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:01:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.ambitgambit.com/2008/06/16/putting-the-wowser-into-rudd/comment-page-1/#comment-2483 Arjay Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:36:16 +0000 http://localhost/ambit/?p=3166#comment-2483 It is an epidemic in social ill-displine and poor manners.You cannot legislate against that. The Cliche Kid is all about symbolism and feel good gestures.Boring Julia Gillard is looking better by the moment. It is an epidemic in social ill-displine and poor manners.You cannot legislate against that.
The Cliche Kid is all about symbolism and feel good gestures.Boring Julia Gillard is looking better by the moment.

]]> http://www.ambitgambit.com/2008/06/16/putting-the-wowser-into-rudd/comment-page-1/#comment-2484 Mark Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:57:26 +0000 http://localhost/ambit/?p=3166#comment-2484 George Orwell (and many others) recognised that it was possible to change thought and attitudes by changing the language. By taking a word that was useful to your opponents and changing the meaning of that word, you take away the tools of your opponents. Equally if you want to move society in a particular direction you can subtlety alter the meaning of some words to facilitate that move. Not so long ago the deed was done in regards to "overweight" when the definitions according to BMI were 'refined' such that now the majority of superfit athletes would be technically 'overweight'. Additionally we now have a confusion between the terms overweight and obese to try to make the 'weight problem' appear even more in need of intervention. Now, even though the evidence that weights have been rising is equivocal and that there is a health issue even less convincing, we barely hear a whimper when we are told that food policy/taxes/availability has to be controlled for our own good. Thus 'binge drinking', which is, in common usage a social evil, is now officially redefined. Once done, we'll find the social do-gooders legitimately telling us that there is an epidemic of binge drinking, even though there is no change in actual levels of drinking. And since there is an epidemic of this social evil, well who could argue with honest efforts to alleviate the problem. And so before we know it we are being saved from a problem that we didn't even know existed. George Orwell (and many others) recognised that it was possible to change thought and attitudes by changing the language. By taking a word that was useful to your opponents and changing the meaning of that word, you take away the tools of your opponents. Equally if you want to move society in a particular direction you can subtlety alter the meaning of some words to facilitate that move.
Not so long ago the deed was done in regards to “overweight” when the definitions according to BMI were ‘refined’ such that now the majority of superfit athletes would be technically ‘overweight’. Additionally we now have a confusion between the terms overweight and obese to try to make the ‘weight problem’ appear even more in need of intervention. Now, even though the evidence that weights have been rising is equivocal and that there is a health issue even less convincing, we barely hear a whimper when we are told that food policy/taxes/availability has to be controlled for our own good.
Thus ‘binge drinking’, which is, in common usage a social evil, is now officially redefined. Once done, we’ll find the social do-gooders legitimately telling us that there is an epidemic of binge drinking, even though there is no change in actual levels of drinking. And since there is an epidemic of this social evil, well who could argue with honest efforts to alleviate the problem. And so before we know it we are being saved from a problem that we didn’t even know existed.

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