WARS, RIOTS, CHAOS,
DEMONSTRATIONS, EXPROPRIATING, LOOTING, CORRUPTION, CAMPAIGN, ELECTIONS, U.N.
CONFERENCES and TERMS, POLITICIAN'S SPEECHES, POLITICAL STATEMENTS, NEWS, NEWS REPORTS, POLITICAL COMMUNIQUES ....
With elections roaring, amidst worldwide ongoings, political language has its own style of
accuracy, diplomacy and proficiency; nevertheless, it is described as the
language of manipulation. Political statements and translation affect us in a
number of different ways. They make us laugh and cry; they make us angry and
they make us smile.
I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. (Ecclesiastes)
In our time, political language is truly abundant and deceptive.
Think of the American hand in Iraq, the Bosnia/Herzegovina purge, the nuclear arms race, The current Israel/Iran face-off. All can be justified, but only by reasoning which are too grotesque for most people to comprehend, and which show hypocrisy with the supposed goals of the political parties. Political language has to consist largely of euphemism, evasive questioning, and sheer cloudy vagueness. What is known as pacification? Afghan, Palestinian villages bombarded from the air, the inhabitants driven out, the livelihood demolished.
Many are robbed of their property and sent off with no more than they can carry. This is known as transfer of population or rectification of frontiers. Guantanamo Bay, "Terrorist" holdings, known as elimination of unreliable elements. Such political language is needed if one wants to name things without getting their names dirty.
