Saturday, May 02, 2009

Political rhetoric explained

MIT/Harvard professor Steven Pinker explains Political rhetoric. According to him, the art of political rhetoric (empty slogans such as "change")constitutes conveying in keywords such as "secularism" "saffron" etc. that your audience can easily understand but which are seemingly benign; Kinsley's definition of gaffe; spindoctoring--"unsavory way to frame opponent's position" e.g., how if you talk of anti-terrorism laws it's meant at targeting minorities; and connotation, reducing certain words to swear words (Hindutva, rather Hindu). Pinker is Chomsky's student, so you can be confident that what you're watching/hearing is coming from secularists' highest authority. 


PS- If possible, please peruse Michael Kinsley's book: 'Please don't Remain Calm.' A collection of his columns. He's liberal, but reading quality writers like him is akin to consuming an apple a day: helps wean yourself of 'secular' media and saves your bp. 



1 comment:

Rooney said...

Different topic:

How the Tamil Tigers lost their stripesIncidentally, a study by the US-based RAND Corporation — that examined 648 terrorist groups that existed between 1968 and 2006 — found that transition to the political process was the most common way in which terror groups ended. Policing was the next most effective strategy, successful in 40% of the cases, while military force led to the end of terror groups in only 7% cases.

“Non-violent strategies are the best means to disintegrate any terror group,” points out Harry Dhaul, director-general of the Independent Power Producers Association of India and Aviation Watch, which recently hosted a conference in Delhi on ways to counter terrorism. “For a long-term solution, the peaceful way is the only way forward.”

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/How-the-Tamil-Tigers-lost-their-stripes/articleshow/4477149.cms