...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Monday, July 07, 2003
      ( 3:38 PM )
 
The Language of Intimidation

Just read this fantastic post from Notes on the Atrocities about the way Bush uses intimdation language. Emma uses the thesis in this Renana Brooks article in The Nation to show that it is a regular practice by Bush to use negatively-charged emotional language in his speeches in an effort to appear to be a strong leader.

President Bush, like many dominant personality
types, uses dependency-creating language. He
employs language of contempt and intimidation to
shame others into submission and desperate admiration.
While we tend to think of the dominator as using
physical force, in fact most dominators use verbal abuse
to control others.

It is interesting to review the language used in his May 1 "Victory" speech and his recent gaff last week with the "bring 'em on" crap. In both prepared and off-the-cuff remarks, he employs these same language tactics. It will be interesting to see as he begins to campaign for an extension of his presidential life (which we, enforce, will be unwilling to grant him), how this use of domineering language will be evoked against the contenders for the White House. It's this sort of language that has distanced us from our historical allies, and which has isolated us in the world at a time when we should be connecting rather than disconnecting from our fellow human beings and nations. It's a shameful use of power and, unlike his supporters in the vast universe of talk-radio, as un-leader-like as possible. He has done nothing to earn the office he holds, but soon it won't matter because he and his passe won't be there anymore.

Brooks' conclusion echoes my own thoughts on how the Democratic candidates should counter this type of pervasive victim-making language used by BushCo:

Bush's political opponents are caught in a fantasy
that they can win against him simply by proving the
superiority of their ideas. However, people do not
support Bush for the power of his ideas, but out of the
despair and desperation in their hearts. Whenever
people are in the grip of a desperate dependency, they
won't respond to rational criticisms of the people they
are dependent on. They will respond to plausible and
forceful statements and alternatives that put the American
electorate back in touch with their core optimism. Bush's
opponents must combat his dark imagery with hope and
restore American vigor and optimism in the coming years.

Also: check out Notes' new dossiers on our leaders - detailed and excellently researched and written.

| -- permanent link