Culture of Deceptive Words
by Charles Callaci

I'm an 82-year old World War II vet, and retired university professor. In the course of my lifetime I've witnessed and continue to see increasing manipulation of words, word games, in order to deceive, influence and control the public.

At this writing, the fashionable deceptive word is "undocumented,” as a substitute for "illegal aliens." In an attempt to confuse and gain sympathy for those who break the law by crossing the border illegally, they combine both the words, legal and illegal immigrants into the single word "immigrant," in hopes of wiping out the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate. The political agenda is to blur the difference, clearing the way for any and all to cross our border without going through the standard process required of others who wish to immigrate to America.

Attempts to minimize, disguise or deceive with words are the major tools of advertising, political, psychological, educational and other symbol-creating "professionals." Countries ruled by the Communist Party were and are masters at the skill of changing definitions, as well as word and phrase meanings to mask and obscure. Example: The word "liberation" for Communist governments means something different from our interpretation. We mean freedom from "oppression;" they mean freedom from our idea of "liberty." To us, "aggression" means bullying, to them it means "interfering" with their bullying. "Peace" means "submission," "no resistance to tyranny."

Politicians talk about "revenue" when they mean "taxes." Special privileges for minorities and reverse discrimination is known as "affirmative action." Street bums, alcoholics and druggies are "homeless." Language used in business and industry include words that mislead or pretend to communicate; that make negatives seem positive, such as changing the word "debt" to "credit." Garbage collectors are "sanitation engineers," sales clerks are "associates," "office boys" are "junior executives" "Janitors" are building custodians. One utility company sends out "energy documents" instead of "bills."

In my lifetime, political extremists have used loaded words to alarm, intimidate and mislead. Complimenting a woman's appearance has become "sexual harassment." "Ghetto" changed from areas where people were forced to remain in designated areas at gunpoint, to today's "poor" who are free to move anywhere they choose. "Racist" was applied to anyone who questioned the fairness of reverse discrimination. "Homophobe" was directed at those who believed marriages between men and women were nature's norm. "Police brutality," was shouted for ticketing an unlicensed driver. A well-deserved swat on a well-diapered child's butt had become "child abuse." Social engineers invented the term "sexually active" to replace "promiscuous;" "alternative life style" to validate sordid living. Sexual deviancy was called "sexual preference."

Although not one hour may be spent on scholarship, "educator" is the word teachers applied to themselves. Elitist educators created tricky terms to impose trendy political correctness on school children; fads known as "values clarification," "optimal development," "self-actualization," "outcome based education" in which the hidden agendas were psychological manipulation, challenging family values, and even the parents.

Advertisers no longer sell a "small" size of anything. They changed "small" to "large" and "large" to "giant." There is "none better" actually means they are all the same. "Lifetime guarantee!" Whose life? The life of the product, which may be ten minutes? A mouth wash claims, "Feels like it'll stay fresh for hours." "Feels like" is not the same as "will." "Genuine imitation," and "original reproductions" are still "fakes." "Relieves symptoms . . . " boasts one commercial. The symptoms disappear but you drop dead from the disease. A soap product proclaims to be "99 and 44/100% pure." Pure what? "It floats!" So does a dead cat!

Charles Callaci, Chino Hills, CA

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