We Must Move into the Future, Not the Past

Orwell, in his great essay “Politics and the English Language,” warned about the tendency of political language to deceive.

There are many current examples. I mentioned “progressive” last post. It means nothing. Who is actually in favour of “regressing”? “Positive” or “affirmative,” as in “affirmative action,” drives me crazy. The Nazis loved this one: they pushed, for example, for “positive Christianity,” which turned out have nothing to do with Christ, but to be Nazism elevated to the status of a religion. And who, from the phrase itself, could guess what “affirmative action” really means? Obviously, the phrase is designed to deceive, and this is proof in itself that the policy so named is indefensible.

Less current today, but favoured by Nazis, was “people’s.” To be “for the people” is obvious nonsense. As opposed to what or whom? Paving stones? You do not hear it so much in the pure form in contemporary Canada, but you do hear “the (Canadian) people want…” and “the (Canadian) people do not believe…”

“Working families” or “working people” has replaced “the working man.” But, since nearly everyone works, coming out in their support is not significant. Nor is Tony Blair’s vapid promise to “govern for the many, not the few.” Hardly a brave and principled stand in a democracy.

More current, and perhaps less obvious, is to be for “women’s rights.” This is just a modern form of the old classic appeal to “motherhood.” Women have always had a great deal of social prestige, and they retain it, even if they have largely rejected motherhood per se.

I have mentioned “the environment.” Implicitly, this means being for cleanliness and against dirt. Who supports dirt?

To “promote dialogue” can be promised on anything. It sounds good, and commits you to do nothing at all.

Advertising copyrighters point out that nothing sells like the word “new.” So too in politics: the call to “modernize” or “keep up with the times” is often heard, but it means nothing in particular. Conversely, there is the common jibe that one’s opponents are living in the past.

In the Canadian context, “Canadian values” is often heard. This is the old strategy of wrapping oneself in the flag. But there is no reason to suppose that something or someone is better sheerly for the sake of being Canadian.

Similar to this is the ugly but ancient practice of scapegoating: in Canada, most often, implicitly condemning something merely by pointing out that it is “American.” There is no reason to suppose that something or someone is worse sheerly for the sake of being American.

Next time you hear a politician speak, I propose you use the following handy scorecard. One point for each time the following or a similar phrase is used. Vote for whoever gets the lowest score. He or she is the most honest.

Next opportunity, I will do the same; and we’ll see how the results fall.

move (Canada, us, the nation, X) forward ________________________________

new, change, modernize, keep up with the times ___________________________

American (criticism implied) ___________________________________________

Canadian values, the Canadian way of life _______________________________

dialogue, study ____________________________________________________

the environment, ecology, conserve ______________________________________

women’s right or rights, women’s issues _____________________________________

working families, working people __________________________________________

the (Canadian) people, people’s ________________________________________

Canadians (represented by the speaker as having one common view) _____________________________________________________________

progressive ____________________________________________________

positive, affirmative _______________________________________________________

negative ___________________________________________________________

empower, empowerment ___________________________________________________

break down barriers __________________________________________________

equal, equality ______________________________________________________

peace, non-violent, non-violence ________________________________________

anti-racism _________________________________________________________


I encourage you to write in with your own additions. There are surely some I have overlooked.