politically sensitive labels

[Prof. R. Sussex]

As an observer from outside the US, I am intrigued by the way in
which neutral words in my political context (Australia) can be used
to attack a candidate in the US, perhaps fatally, at least in terms
of political aspirations.

A prime example is "liberal", which in the British/Commonwealth
tradition is a respected label for centre-right politics, but which
in the US can sound like a suspect softness on policy issues --
depending on which end of the political spectrum you are speaking
from.  Rush Limbaugh's website uses this word in a way which is
strongly pejorative (and confusing to someone from outside the US, I
suspect).

Other potentially sensitive labels, with varying degrees of potency,
appear to include:
        multicultural(ism)
        abortion, pro-life, pro-choice
        big business
        big government
These seem to reflect different degrees of politicization as well.

I'd also like to know the potential spin status of
        civil rights
        progressive
        civil libertarian
- which are harder to pin down.

And there is the stack of terms related to gender-preference,
same-sex marriage and so on, which are more obviously prone to
polarization, both as issues and socio-lexically.

This is not just the matter of issues: what interests me is the use
of words to attempt to sloganize political aspirants, and thereby to
direct public opinion in certain ways.

Is this list accurate? I know it depends on where you stand and whom
you are trying to attack, but are there others?  Is there a study of
these sensitive terms? Is there a ranking or league table of the most
potentially damaging? How do the spin doctors politicize an issue (or
personal characteristic) to the point where its vocabulary can be
used as a weapon?

Roly Sussex

--

Roly Sussex
Professor of Applied Language Studies
Department of French, German, Russian, Spanish and Applied Linguistics
School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
Queensland 4072
AUSTRALIA

Office: Greenwood 434 (Building 32)
Phone:  +61 7 3365 6896
Fax:    +61 7 3365 6799
Email:  sussex at uq.edu.au
Web:    http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/profiles/sussex.html
School's website:
        http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/
Applied linguistics website:
        http://www.uq.edu.au/slccs/AppliedLing/

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