Newspeak is Here

This morning I had the bright idea of blogging on newspeak. I first heard this word many, many, many years ago when I read 1984. Then it seemed so far in the future, now the year 1984 is so far in the past.

I went to google to check out the word - according to the newspeak dictionary - it is propagandist language marked by euphemism, circulocation and the inversion of customary meanings. I looked for some examples. I heard this one today. Some of Obama's selections for cabinet positions are "tax challenged". That's such a nice way of describing a tax cheat or tax evader.

Another one is "fetal reduction" which in reality is aborting/killing a developing baby or babies when there is a chance of multiple births. That has been suggested lately in the California octoplet case.

There is one case of newspeak that I would like to see. I think we should change the description of the recent government bailout of banks to taxpayer bailout of banks or the nationalization of banks. The proposed stimulus bill should be called the Taxpayer Pays for Everything bill.

But that will never happen because once the taxpayers realize they are paying for all this, they will rebel. Maybe that's not such a bad idea.

Now, I'll step off my soapbox before I'm thought to be a crimethinker by Big Brother.