MISNOMER: The Patriot Act

[Yoda Yada]

I think it is every Democrat's DUTY to clarify that the "Patriot Act" is a misnomer.

We must first state that, "This Act is NOT about a person being a patriot, it is about GOVERNMENT SPYING on American citizens! It should be called the "Government Spying Act", or the "Freedom Removal Act".

Many of us are amazed at how this administration has sucessfully framed EVERY issue on their own terms. They are so manipulatively clever. Let's ALL correct the " incorrect framing" BEFORE we discuss the issue. (This is a relatively simple thing to do...and we can ALL do it.)


Don't discuss the misleading "Patriot Act", discuss what it REALLY is...the "Government Spying Act."

[Wilms]

1. I here you, but I was ok with "Patriot Act" because it's just an act. n/t

[Yoda Yada]

3. How did you feel about the Clear Skies initiative? n/t

[wtmusic]

9. The same way I felt about the "Healthy Forests" Act. nt

[ClassWarrior]

2. Lakoff calls that the "Orwellian language" of the RW.

"Clear Skies" Initiative, "Healthy Forest" Initiative, etc.

Read "Don't Think of an Elephant." It's excellent.

NGU.

[Yoda Yada]

7. ...and it IS Orwellian, but...

...does that mean we should blindly accept incorrect framing? That would be a gift to the Bush adminisration.

[ClassWarrior]

8. I never said we "should blindly accept" anything. In fact, I agree...

...with you wholeheartedly. I'm just saying you're in good company in your analysis, and you'd relate to Lakoff's book.

B-):thumbsup:

NGU.

[Yoda Yada]

10. I didn't mean to sound accusatory...

...but sometimes it is the seemingly smaller issues that make my blood boil the most.

[ClassWarrior]

11. Understood. And language and framing isn't really small.

It's at the core of how we think.

NGU.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I never discuss it without calling it by its real name

the U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act (“Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism”). How clever of them to come up with an acronym that would imply that anyone opposing it is unpatriotic. These folks would make Goebbels proud.

[HereSince1628]

5. Technically it is the U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act

BTW, cloaking evil in the garb of goodness is one of those things John the Revelator saw as markers of the last days.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Great minds think alike...

:toast:

[Arkana]

12. I prefer to call it

the "Let's Shit On Your Civil Rights In The Name Of Fighting Terra" Act.