The book’s praise should be a warning:
Zombie from PJ Media reviews the Little Blue Book.
The Little Blue Book is Lakoff’s attempt to transform his high-minded theories into nuts-and-bolts instructions for how all Democrats — from the White House to the drum circle and everything in between — should speak to conservatives, undecideds and the media.
Another one of Lakoff’s instructions that you have probably encountered, though never fully understood, is the order to “use your own language; never use your opponent’s language.”
On page 43, he writes: “Be aware of what you believe and repeat it loud over and over; never repeat ideas you don’t believe in, even if you are arguing against them.” This mantra even comes in at number one on Lakoff’s list of “The 10 Most Important Things Democrats Should Know.”
Rather than engage in a debate on socialism versus capitalism, Lakoff urges leftists to say something along the lines of: “This debate is about liberty from corporate government and corporate meddling in our lives,” or, “The laissez-faire market limits your personal liberty.”
No doubt the instructions contained therein are also being followed step by step by Labor and the Greens.
Notice how Julia Gillard calls the carbon tax, a “price on carbon” and how she refers to illegal boat immigrants as “irregular maritime arrivals.”
Progressives everywhere have a history of changing the language of the debate. Lakoff seems to actually believe that if you just come up with the right “label” or euphemism, reality itself will change around it.
Again, just note how Julia Gillard constant parrots the words “carbon pollution.” Anyone who has studied basic science at school knows for fact that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant. But Labor seems convinced if you say enough times that it is, the people will believe you.
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