When you write a check to the IRS, is that charity? According to UK-based philosopher Alain de Botton, that’s what we should call taxes, because the word “tax” is “colorless, odorless and offensive.” Yes, he’s really serious.
Modern political language seems to be intended to conceal the truth rather than make facts clear. It’s no wonder that nobody can agree about what’s going on when almost everybody is busy redefining words to mean what he wants them to mean — in order to make a point.
For instance, in normal conversation, if you say that someone’s budget has been cut, those words have a specific meaning. The money in the budget is something less than it was before. In politics, though, it can mean something altogether different. A “budget cut” might mean that a budget went up — not down — but that the rate of increase wasn’t as much as had been previously planned.
This language is dishonest, and its intent is to conceal the fact that real overall budgets are almost never cut. Politicians can claim to have cut budgets, even though spending still goes up.
FRIDAY FUNNIES
There’s a lot to complain about, but miracle is so much goes right
Do you know your heart’s desire? Or are you just chasing a mirage?
Attention, fellow nerds: How are we doing with ‘normal’ people?
I want to help out of pure love, but human motives are messy
Politicians sometimes lie even when they know they’ll be caught
‘Can you trust this administration?’ No, but I don’t trust any president
FRIDAY FUNNIES
Eviction moratorium is pure theft; it’s a sign of creeping socialism