tom_thinks
Friday, November 12, 2004
Don't Think of an Elephant
So I'm reading this great book, Don't think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff, its an abbreviated version of his book Moral Politics. Basically the book is about the two main competing world views that drive politics in this country. Lakoff brings it all back to idealized family structures which mold our thinking. Lakoff is a cognitive psychologist you might have heard on Air America or read about on the internet. He's becoming quite popular. He should also be essential reading for all of us. Rarely would I recommend a book to this extreme, but understanding what is up with all those "red-states" is crucial if we care about what happens in our country.
Much of what Lakoff discusses you might already have a bit of knowledge about. For instance when Republicans coined the term "tax relief." We're all familiar with euphemisms but this verbal strategy goes beyond that. The term "tax relief" creates a frame, a context which the debate takes place in. In order for there to be relief, there are many other assumptions made such as: there is a burden to be relieved from; a person who brings relief is a hero; and a person who opposes relief is part of the burden. This is just one example, but Lakoff's analysis is much more in depth and far-reaching.
Language is a powerful tool and the Republicans have spent a great deal of time in crafting the language they use. Its time for us to do the same. We can no longer accept their terms, like "partial birth abortion," "tax relief," "the death tax," or perhaps worst of all "the war on terror." Each time we use one of these terms we set ourselves up to lose the argument. Our facts simply are not powerful enough to penetrate the frames set up in the minds of conservatives. Republicans know this and smile happily whenever a Democrat uses one of their terms.
So rush to the stores and buy a copy, then buy 10 more for all the upset Democrats you know. Now is the time to re-frame the debate, not 2008.
Much of what Lakoff discusses you might already have a bit of knowledge about. For instance when Republicans coined the term "tax relief." We're all familiar with euphemisms but this verbal strategy goes beyond that. The term "tax relief" creates a frame, a context which the debate takes place in. In order for there to be relief, there are many other assumptions made such as: there is a burden to be relieved from; a person who brings relief is a hero; and a person who opposes relief is part of the burden. This is just one example, but Lakoff's analysis is much more in depth and far-reaching.
Language is a powerful tool and the Republicans have spent a great deal of time in crafting the language they use. Its time for us to do the same. We can no longer accept their terms, like "partial birth abortion," "tax relief," "the death tax," or perhaps worst of all "the war on terror." Each time we use one of these terms we set ourselves up to lose the argument. Our facts simply are not powerful enough to penetrate the frames set up in the minds of conservatives. Republicans know this and smile happily whenever a Democrat uses one of their terms.
So rush to the stores and buy a copy, then buy 10 more for all the upset Democrats you know. Now is the time to re-frame the debate, not 2008.
posted by Tom, 11/12/2004 07:36:00 PM
