With free speech you can say anything a lot of different ways. You can launder language to slant public opinion in your favor.
Some recent examples from current events include the transformation of “toxic asset” into “legacy asset,” “mandate” to “shared responsibility,” and “waterboarding” sounds like the latest Olympic event.
Furthermore, to have these terms presented live has more impact than if you read them. One, you don’t necessarily have the rewind capabilities, not the way you do when reading. And two, with a live presentation, more of your brain is occupied taking in and processing visual and audio input; reading the same material, your brain has more room to analyze and to question while simultaneously in-taking.
When a border is unclear, people tend to stand away from it. Without clear definition, you avoid approaching an issue for fear of inadvertently crossing it. But once the line is drawn, people walk right up to it and kick it. Once you have a definition, you may have to keep changing the wording to prevent gaming of the system.
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