Difference between revisions of "Code word"

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(→‎Example code words: Changed "choice" to "pro-choice.")
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Code words attempt to disguise a particular view, making it palatable to outsiders who have yet to "decode" it, while allowing the less savory meanings to be understood by the in-group. This makes them slightly different to plain loaded language, which tries sway opinions about a subject.
 
Code words attempt to disguise a particular view, making it palatable to outsiders who have yet to "decode" it, while allowing the less savory meanings to be understood by the in-group. This makes them slightly different to plain loaded language, which tries sway opinions about a subject.
 
*'''[[Affirmative action]]''' — the use of racial preferences to make decisions in hiring, admissions, ''etc.'' Distinguished from [[Jim Crow|previous use of such preferences]] by the [[I'm not prejudiced, but...|loudly stated good intentions]] of its practitioners. The term is used to disguise the fact that race is being used as a deciding criterion, which might not be acceptable to the large number of people who prefer "color-blind" policies.
 
  
 
*'''[[political correctness|Civilised speech]]''' - "Civilised" - as in, not calling each other dirty names every second - is certainly a good thing, but the concept also becomes a cudgel used by people who want to dismiss an argument but have no actual evidence to counterargue with, frequently against people who are deemed as agitators. Since people who are branded as agitators are often part of or representing an underclass, this often makes it a code word for (authoritarian/majoritarian) political correctness.  
 
*'''[[political correctness|Civilised speech]]''' - "Civilised" - as in, not calling each other dirty names every second - is certainly a good thing, but the concept also becomes a cudgel used by people who want to dismiss an argument but have no actual evidence to counterargue with, frequently against people who are deemed as agitators. Since people who are branded as agitators are often part of or representing an underclass, this often makes it a code word for (authoritarian/majoritarian) political correctness.  
  
*'''Pro-choice/pro-life''' - This can mean a number of different things depending on who says it, but in general, bringing up the idea of "choice" is used to demonize your opponent as "anti-choice", and by extension "anti [[freedom]]". For example, [[pro-choice]] leads to the idea that anti-abortion campaigners are against a woman's right to control their fertility, and choice is also brought up by [[vaccine hysteria|vaccine lobbyists]] when they know that their claims can't be backed up by evidence - they must be given a choice of whether to take a vaccine, and evidence and benefits are irrelevant. Similarly, "pro-life" is used to insinuate that proponents of legalized abortion not only approve of abortion, but approve of death and killing as well.
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*'''Choice''' - This can mean a number of different things depending on who says it, but in general, bringing up the idea of "choice" is used to discreetly demonize your opponent as "anti-choice", and by extension "anti [[freedom]]". For example, [[pro-choice]] leads to the idea that anti-abortion campaigners are against a woman's right to control their fertility, and choice is also brought up by [[vaccine hysteria|vaccine lobbyists]] when they know that their claims can't be backed up by evidence - they must be given a choice of whether to take a vaccine, and evidence and benefits are irrelevant.
  
 
*'''[[Family values]]''' - Broadly interpreted as [[homophobia]] and misogyny, but is essentially actively discriminating against most "alternative" lifestyles or anything remotely "non-traditional" (even though the traditional "One man, one woman, two sweet kids, a dog and a picket fence" ideal has little-to-no basis in historical reality).
 
*'''[[Family values]]''' - Broadly interpreted as [[homophobia]] and misogyny, but is essentially actively discriminating against most "alternative" lifestyles or anything remotely "non-traditional" (even though the traditional "One man, one woman, two sweet kids, a dog and a picket fence" ideal has little-to-no basis in historical reality).
  
*'''[[Islam|Radical Islam]]''' - Roughly translates in reality as ''all'' of Islam, radical or otherwise. "Combating radical Islam" is usually used in place of "[[Ann Coulter|let's invade their countries and convert them to Christianity]]". The overuse of this term has, unfortunately, made it difficult for those who wish to combat only radical or fundamentalist Islam.
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*'''[[Islam|Radical Islam]]''' - Roughly translates in reality as ''all'' of Islam, radical or otherwise. "Combating radical Islam" is usually used in place of "[[Ann Coulter|let's invade their countries and convert them to Christianity]]".
 
 
*'''Inclusiveness''' — A buzzword used in academic circles. Applied particularly to the field of literature, where it is spun as an attempt to study other perspectives in the discipline besides that of "dead white men." In practice, it means chucking out as much of the Western canon as is feasible, then replacing it, not with non-Western classics like the ''Rigveda'' or the ''Analects'', but with Western political [[Bullshit|dreck]].
 
  
 
*'''[[Informed consent|Informed decision]]''' - Pretty much comes down to "a decision that I agree with". It's commonly seen in ''controversial'' subjects in which those arguing from the fringe would demand that their side of the argument be shared in order to allow people to make informed decisions. Such an approach is common in the attempts of [[Creationists]] to democratize science by presenting school children with their pet religious theory on the origins and development of life and allowing the kids to choose the side they think more credible. [[Pro-life]] proponents follow a similar tack by suggesting that women cannot decide whether or not to abort a fetus without first being exposed to a barrage of scare stories and pseudo-science.
 
*'''[[Informed consent|Informed decision]]''' - Pretty much comes down to "a decision that I agree with". It's commonly seen in ''controversial'' subjects in which those arguing from the fringe would demand that their side of the argument be shared in order to allow people to make informed decisions. Such an approach is common in the attempts of [[Creationists]] to democratize science by presenting school children with their pet religious theory on the origins and development of life and allowing the kids to choose the side they think more credible. [[Pro-life]] proponents follow a similar tack by suggesting that women cannot decide whether or not to abort a fetus without first being exposed to a barrage of scare stories and pseudo-science.
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*'''[[Pro-family]]''' - A subset of "family values" mentioned above, usually used for point-scoring for politicians. It really means that they are only "pro" the kind of stereotypical "family" that they like, rather than any other possible unit, regardless of whether it is healthy, beneficial or stable.
 
*'''[[Pro-family]]''' - A subset of "family values" mentioned above, usually used for point-scoring for politicians. It really means that they are only "pro" the kind of stereotypical "family" that they like, rather than any other possible unit, regardless of whether it is healthy, beneficial or stable.
  
*'''Recognize the enemy''' - Using profiling to weed out who a terrorist is, ''i.e.'', do they look [[Muslim]]? Essentially code for "round up the ragheads."
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*'''Recognize the enemy''' - Using profiling to weed out who a terrorist is. I.e., do they look [[Muslim]]? Essentially a code for [[racism]].
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Revision as of 06:28, 5 October 2010

A code word is a type of term of art whose meaning is intentionally obscured, usually in order to increase acceptability to outsiders. The act of using code words is often referred to as dog whistle politics, referring to the fact that the "code" can only be understood or heard by a select target group. Many, though not all, such terms are also snarl words, but are used to disguise the outright offense that they would cause if the user just spoke literally. Many Christian terms, including "salvation", "pagan", and the like, were code words in the original Greek and Latin forms. Similar to the "euphemism treadmill", some code words eventually cease to be coded as they've been used so often that people can see through them.

In many respects, prayers and especially imprecatory prayers can be viewed as coded messages, although in a slightly different sense to a "code word". In these cases, prayers that call for actions - ostensibly by the hand of God - may be seen as incitement for people to actually carry it out. Prayers calling for good acts can also generate this effect, so preachers name-dropping charitable acts may inspire their flock to donate their time or money. More sinisterly, preachers who call for curses to be placed on their opponents may just be blowing off steam, but are guilty of incitement should anyone try to take the matter into their own materialistic hands - it could be further argued that this is intentional, and coding the request behind a call for divine intervention absolves a preacher from guilt.

Example code words

Code words attempt to disguise a particular view, making it palatable to outsiders who have yet to "decode" it, while allowing the less savory meanings to be understood by the in-group. This makes them slightly different to plain loaded language, which tries sway opinions about a subject.

  • Civilised speech - "Civilised" - as in, not calling each other dirty names every second - is certainly a good thing, but the concept also becomes a cudgel used by people who want to dismiss an argument but have no actual evidence to counterargue with, frequently against people who are deemed as agitators. Since people who are branded as agitators are often part of or representing an underclass, this often makes it a code word for (authoritarian/majoritarian) political correctness.
  • Choice - This can mean a number of different things depending on who says it, but in general, bringing up the idea of "choice" is used to discreetly demonize your opponent as "anti-choice", and by extension "anti freedom". For example, pro-choice leads to the idea that anti-abortion campaigners are against a woman's right to control their fertility, and choice is also brought up by vaccine lobbyists when they know that their claims can't be backed up by evidence - they must be given a choice of whether to take a vaccine, and evidence and benefits are irrelevant.
  • Family values - Broadly interpreted as homophobia and misogyny, but is essentially actively discriminating against most "alternative" lifestyles or anything remotely "non-traditional" (even though the traditional "One man, one woman, two sweet kids, a dog and a picket fence" ideal has little-to-no basis in historical reality).
  • Informed decision - Pretty much comes down to "a decision that I agree with". It's commonly seen in controversial subjects in which those arguing from the fringe would demand that their side of the argument be shared in order to allow people to make informed decisions. Such an approach is common in the attempts of Creationists to democratize science by presenting school children with their pet religious theory on the origins and development of life and allowing the kids to choose the side they think more credible. Pro-life proponents follow a similar tack by suggesting that women cannot decide whether or not to abort a fetus without first being exposed to a barrage of scare stories and pseudo-science.
  • Intelligent design - The ID movement began as a way to secularize creationism; people are happy with a "design hypothesis" but less happy when it's overtly religious. Although ID claims to be a "scientific" way of thinking, rather than just a code word, the fact that it's considered by the scientific community as identical to creationism qualifies it as a mere code word.
  • Open mind - Usually when this is used it's either to denigrate an opponent as supposedly "closed minded", or possibly a euphemism for "why won't you agree with me?!"
  • Pro-family - A subset of "family values" mentioned above, usually used for point-scoring for politicians. It really means that they are only "pro" the kind of stereotypical "family" that they like, rather than any other possible unit, regardless of whether it is healthy, beneficial or stable.
  • Recognize the enemy - Using profiling to weed out who a terrorist is. I.e., do they look Muslim? Essentially a code for racism.

External links

See also