victim = 'feckless irresponsible individual'

[Jonathan Lighter]

Being called a "victim" must be even worse than I thought.

A new Obama ad says: "47% of Americans. 'Victims.' --Mitt Romney."

That would only make sense (to me) if Romney was being accused of being a
"bleeding heart."

And this evening again NPR reported that Romney has "called nearly 50% of
Americans 'victims.'"

JL

On Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 9:26 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: victim = 'feckless irresponsible individual'
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Cf. the recent disdainful sense of "needy," i.e., "needing or demanding
> attention from another person."
>
> JL
>
> On Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 8:22 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      victim = 'feckless irresponsible individual'
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Remember how "hero" is expanding to include a kind of victim?
> >
> > For the past 24 hours I've heard and read numerous comments to the effect
> > that Mitt Romney "considers 47% of voters to be victims."
> >
> > But he doesn't. He said they think of *themselves* as victims. Because
> Mitt
> > Romney still seems to know what "victim" means  .
> >
> > Of course, most people want to help victims, but that's not the point.
> The
> > point is that Romney didn't say that putative people who believe the
> > government owes them "medical care, food, housing, you name it" are, in
> > *his* opinion, "victims."
> >
> > But that's how the press, pundits, and public are telling it, even when
> > they go on to clarify the details.  GOP as well as Dem pundits.  At some
> > level of their consciousness a "victim" is a kind of "loser."
> >
> > Nowadays it shows weak character to be a "victim."
> >
> > Instead of a "survivor."
> >
> > JL
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org