NEVER use the opposition’s terminology to communicate your point! Control you framing of the issue! Linguistics professor George Lakoff has been urging folks to speak about their values, not the opposition’s for 2 decades.
I get so frustrated when Dems use GOP phrasing, instead of positively stating their values on an issue. It’s why so many “hate Obama Care,” but defend their Affordable Care Act access to insurance!
Replying to Alyson's comment below: "Yes there was a pamphlet circulated in 1990 by Newt Gingrich-led group, GOPAC to Repub candidates. That is their "laminated card." Here's a link to more info and excerpts. https://uh.edu/~englin/rephandout.html"
ME: Very Important! Everyone should read! I teach the GOPAC memo in my workshop. Many people do not know it is called, ominously, "Language, a Key Mechanism of Control." Amazing how much damage was done by so few pages! Damn that Frank Luntz!
On the budget vote: "Trump and Musk are shutting the government down now, but they're doing it PERMANENTLY. The only way to stop them is to force Republicans in Congress to DO THEIR JOBS: pass a real budget and crack down on Trump and Musk's unconstitutional hatchet job on the programs that keep our country running!"
Do NOT associate Social Security with ENTITLEMENT. DO associate it with PAID FOR BY US. Do NOT associate tariffs with TAXES ON OTHER COUNTRIES. DO associate tariffs with TAXES ON US CONSUMERS. Do NOT associate Mahmoud Khalil with "terrorist", "activist", "sympathizer", DO associate him with "legal permanent resident", "free speech", and "constitutional rights."
Call Social Security an entitlement, because we are ENTITLED to it. We paid for it, it belongs to us, it’s an entitlement. They have made that word a pejorative. Relentlessly redefine it back to its original meaning.
Magats look at being entitled to something as a bad thing. They will see SS as an entitlement from the government as opposed to an entitlement that we fund ourselves. How the money gets there won’t mean anything, they’ll just see it as a handout.
I didn’t say ‘focus all your effort on redefining a misused word.’ But whenever it is misused, a part of destroying the lie and embarrassing the liar is aggressively pointing out that a word has been twisted. No need to address it at other times.
It depends. Most of the time, "aggressively pointing it out" is amplifying the original misuse and reinforcing the association, so I would recommend against it.
By “aggressively,” I don’t mean loudly or angrily. A simple retort might do. They say, “Do away with entitlements!” I reply, “What? You don’t want me to get what I’m entitled to? I paid for it, you’re saying it’s not mine to claim?” Do that consistently whenever possible, and they gradually start looking foolish for the way they misuse the word.
Your reply there is perfect in that you don't repeat the term "entitlements." You rephrase it using the words "entitled to" in the correct way and then back it up by restating it in other words.
Medicare Advantage is not Medicare. It is privatization of Medicare and responsible for billions in fraud! Many people are being shifted to it without their knowledge and will find out too late when they start not approving payments for treatments!
I would say don’t even associate the word taxes with tariffs because that’s what their messaging is using. I would associate US CONSUMERS pay for TARIFF COSTS.
DO associate Immigration Detention Centers with Prisons and Concentration Camps. Do associate prisons with private for-profit-contractors. Don't associate immigrants with criminals. Do associate immigrants with hard working, tax paying Americans.
If you argue on their terms, which we always do, you fall into their framing. Democrats need a daily messaging machine that uses OUR framing and OUR vocabulary NOT theirs.
This is such a gift. Thank you, Antonia! I’d like to add that FOX News was instrumental in making negative associative language mainstream in the media. They’ve done it for decades and now we have a portion of the electorate that can’t think critically about the information they consume.
Oh yeah. That's primarily what they do. Sometimes you can even catch them just rattling off a list of words with no context, like they have it on a laminated card that stays on their desk! Frank Luntz, Roger Ailes, etc. That's how they do it!
Yes there was a pamphlet circulated in 1990 by Newt Gingrich-led group, GOPAC to Repub candidates. That is their "laminated card." Here's a link to more info and excerpts. https://uh.edu/~englin/rephandout.html
Thank you for this. This is exactly why I hate sarcasm. Your brain cannot hear the indignation. It hears the words. Not the hah! Rachel Maddow needs to read this. Her repeating what they say with a snarky tone is just repeating their message, they must rejoice.
I keep telling everyone to stop associating DEI as a slur. Need to associate with the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Start calling out the sections of law being violated.
We need to reframe the argument and stop using their language/weaponization as our own. It just fuels their disinformation and propaganda.
Right?! Why does everyone think social media, tic tok and the like was invented in the first place?! It keeps everyone’s eyes on their phone instead of looking around and seeing what’s going on.
People who aren't aware are one of the reasons why this is happening. They are less likely to engage with content with a critical eye. When we cannot challenge what we see or hear and we accept things as fact that are opinions or disinformation, it spreads widely across content.
Social media is a good rhetorical tool that persuades our emotions, our attitudes, and our beliefs. When people's intentions go uncheck, disinformation spreads further. Remember, those who believe conspiracy and propaganda have been listening to it freely for years on news entertainment outlets, radio shows, and podcasts. Anyone with a profile and a platform can be a cult of personality...like a modern day influencer.
Being aware and "woke" is associated now with antifa and hating "American Values". We need to redefine these terms and shift the meaning. Being aware is having knowledge. Being awake is being cognizant and having knowledge of something.
I'd reframe and redefine these terms entirely -- we're not woke, we're observant. We're not aware, we're informed. This is what Antonia means.
tl;dr: we need to take back our language and make it work for us and the audience we're connecting with.
actually my understanding/experience of "woke" was new insight—awoken to the realization. That is something much more than "observant."
the disinfo is fed via cult-like programming. People are being told they're getting inside info that not everyone else has or understands, only you, one of the smart ones who sees the truth. Give em a nice ego buzz with their plate of sh*t.
You're right. I think you're pretty smart too to notice the bs.
I taught language and rhetoric for years as well as studied philosophical logic and cultural media. Placing knowledge on the internet is fine but the problem is it cannot be the only receptacle. Our minds need to sift through what's true and what's falsehood. Nowadays, many people's critical thinking is done for them.
Totally recommend Thank You For Arguing, Everything's An Argument, Conspirituality, and the Cult of Trump. Cult of personality is what we see with podcasters, billionaires, and social media influencers. I know some other people in history who had a cult of personality and created the programming that you describe.
I'm not sure that works. People could just hear "Republicans" and "civil rights." I would go with "Republicans want to legalize discrimination." or something like that.
Hugely important and hugely frustrating when working in the social media sphere. I think I’ll take bits of this to post on bluesky (only the DO this parts!) as I’m also amplifying the Dems who are doing good stuff rather than honking on the ones not doing enough. Thanks!
Great article!!! You may know that those associations feed the Large Language Model (LLM) tools like ChatGPT perfectly. It’s complex, but “attention” in AI is just that - the model learns what words and phrases are commonly found together. The associations you propose e.g. “immigrants” with “hard-working” do also!
It is best to avoid the use of the word “not” because it is skimmed over. Instead of saying, “Tariffs are not good for the American consumer,” say “Tariffs are paid for by the American consumer.”
Department of Education protects children with chemo, enabling immunocompromised kids to be homeschooled while they receive treatment - like my six year old granddaughter
I forgot one!
Do NOT associate people who receive social services with PARASITES!
DO associate BILLIONAIRES with PARASITES!
NEVER use the opposition’s terminology to communicate your point! Control you framing of the issue! Linguistics professor George Lakoff has been urging folks to speak about their values, not the opposition’s for 2 decades.
I get so frustrated when Dems use GOP phrasing, instead of positively stating their values on an issue. It’s why so many “hate Obama Care,” but defend their Affordable Care Act access to insurance!
https://george-lakoff.com/about/the-all-new-dont-think-of-an-elephant_george-lakoff/
Thank you so very much! This is super helpful!
You just taught a master class on subliminal messaging. Thank you! - kaf
Thanks!!!
Sure.
Replying to Alyson's comment below: "Yes there was a pamphlet circulated in 1990 by Newt Gingrich-led group, GOPAC to Repub candidates. That is their "laminated card." Here's a link to more info and excerpts. https://uh.edu/~englin/rephandout.html"
ME: Very Important! Everyone should read! I teach the GOPAC memo in my workshop. Many people do not know it is called, ominously, "Language, a Key Mechanism of Control." Amazing how much damage was done by so few pages! Damn that Frank Luntz!
Fascinating! Thank you so much for breaking this down for us and sharing what we can use instead. Sharing!
On the budget vote: "Trump and Musk are shutting the government down now, but they're doing it PERMANENTLY. The only way to stop them is to force Republicans in Congress to DO THEIR JOBS: pass a real budget and crack down on Trump and Musk's unconstitutional hatchet job on the programs that keep our country running!"
Do NOT associate Social Security with ENTITLEMENT. DO associate it with PAID FOR BY US. Do NOT associate tariffs with TAXES ON OTHER COUNTRIES. DO associate tariffs with TAXES ON US CONSUMERS. Do NOT associate Mahmoud Khalil with "terrorist", "activist", "sympathizer", DO associate him with "legal permanent resident", "free speech", and "constitutional rights."
Call Social Security an entitlement, because we are ENTITLED to it. We paid for it, it belongs to us, it’s an entitlement. They have made that word a pejorative. Relentlessly redefine it back to its original meaning.
Magats look at being entitled to something as a bad thing. They will see SS as an entitlement from the government as opposed to an entitlement that we fund ourselves. How the money gets there won’t mean anything, they’ll just see it as a handout.
Spam has no place here. Go pedal your shit to the maggots.
I never use the word entitlement. I always use the word pension or retirement savings program. - kaf
there's no time for redefining that right now!
I didn’t say ‘focus all your effort on redefining a misused word.’ But whenever it is misused, a part of destroying the lie and embarrassing the liar is aggressively pointing out that a word has been twisted. No need to address it at other times.
It depends. Most of the time, "aggressively pointing it out" is amplifying the original misuse and reinforcing the association, so I would recommend against it.
By “aggressively,” I don’t mean loudly or angrily. A simple retort might do. They say, “Do away with entitlements!” I reply, “What? You don’t want me to get what I’m entitled to? I paid for it, you’re saying it’s not mine to claim?” Do that consistently whenever possible, and they gradually start looking foolish for the way they misuse the word.
Your reply there is perfect in that you don't repeat the term "entitlements." You rephrase it using the words "entitled to" in the correct way and then back it up by restating it in other words.
ok yes absolutely in the same way we calmly and reasonably correct bias/stereotypes/bigotry.
Medicare Advantage is not Medicare. It is privatization of Medicare and responsible for billions in fraud! Many people are being shifted to it without their knowledge and will find out too late when they start not approving payments for treatments!
Medicare Advantage is Privatized.
This is excellent advice!
There is NO advantage to Medicare Advantage. It’s giving payment for services straight to insurance companies who profit by denying care.
"
You must think we’re stupid like maggots…go somewhere else!
I would say don’t even associate the word taxes with tariffs because that’s what their messaging is using. I would associate US CONSUMERS pay for TARIFF COSTS.
Ahhh, totally get it now.
DO associate Immigration Detention Centers with Prisons and Concentration Camps. Do associate prisons with private for-profit-contractors. Don't associate immigrants with criminals. Do associate immigrants with hard working, tax paying Americans.
I am updating the post as we go!
If you argue on their terms, which we always do, you fall into their framing. Democrats need a daily messaging machine that uses OUR framing and OUR vocabulary NOT theirs.
This is such a gift. Thank you, Antonia! I’d like to add that FOX News was instrumental in making negative associative language mainstream in the media. They’ve done it for decades and now we have a portion of the electorate that can’t think critically about the information they consume.
Oh yeah. That's primarily what they do. Sometimes you can even catch them just rattling off a list of words with no context, like they have it on a laminated card that stays on their desk! Frank Luntz, Roger Ailes, etc. That's how they do it!
Yes there was a pamphlet circulated in 1990 by Newt Gingrich-led group, GOPAC to Repub candidates. That is their "laminated card." Here's a link to more info and excerpts. https://uh.edu/~englin/rephandout.html
Don't forget Rush he started all this
Wow, a light bulb moment for me. I will be very aware of my phrasing in comments, going forward. Thank you.
And do not associate Fox with news. False Noise, Faux Fraud, Russian TV, better. 👍
I call it Fox Spews.
Fox News is now state run propaganda.
it always was, for each Repub administration. The Atlantic had a great story about the murdochs recently. Highly recommend it.
and add to that almost everywhere we go, if there's a tv, it's on fox. :-(
Thank you for this. This is exactly why I hate sarcasm. Your brain cannot hear the indignation. It hears the words. Not the hah! Rachel Maddow needs to read this. Her repeating what they say with a snarky tone is just repeating their message, they must rejoice.
I keep telling everyone to stop associating DEI as a slur. Need to associate with the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Start calling out the sections of law being violated.
We need to reframe the argument and stop using their language/weaponization as our own. It just fuels their disinformation and propaganda.
same with "woke." when the heck did it become bad to be awake and aware?
Right?! Why does everyone think social media, tic tok and the like was invented in the first place?! It keeps everyone’s eyes on their phone instead of looking around and seeing what’s going on.
People who aren't aware are one of the reasons why this is happening. They are less likely to engage with content with a critical eye. When we cannot challenge what we see or hear and we accept things as fact that are opinions or disinformation, it spreads widely across content.
Social media is a good rhetorical tool that persuades our emotions, our attitudes, and our beliefs. When people's intentions go uncheck, disinformation spreads further. Remember, those who believe conspiracy and propaganda have been listening to it freely for years on news entertainment outlets, radio shows, and podcasts. Anyone with a profile and a platform can be a cult of personality...like a modern day influencer.
Being aware and "woke" is associated now with antifa and hating "American Values". We need to redefine these terms and shift the meaning. Being aware is having knowledge. Being awake is being cognizant and having knowledge of something.
I'd reframe and redefine these terms entirely -- we're not woke, we're observant. We're not aware, we're informed. This is what Antonia means.
tl;dr: we need to take back our language and make it work for us and the audience we're connecting with.
actually my understanding/experience of "woke" was new insight—awoken to the realization. That is something much more than "observant."
the disinfo is fed via cult-like programming. People are being told they're getting inside info that not everyone else has or understands, only you, one of the smart ones who sees the truth. Give em a nice ego buzz with their plate of sh*t.
You're right. I think you're pretty smart too to notice the bs.
I taught language and rhetoric for years as well as studied philosophical logic and cultural media. Placing knowledge on the internet is fine but the problem is it cannot be the only receptacle. Our minds need to sift through what's true and what's falsehood. Nowadays, many people's critical thinking is done for them.
Totally recommend Thank You For Arguing, Everything's An Argument, Conspirituality, and the Cult of Trump. Cult of personality is what we see with podcasters, billionaires, and social media influencers. I know some other people in history who had a cult of personality and created the programming that you describe.
the media is the opium of the masses, indeed
Precisely. Let’s face it, if you’re not woke you are asleep.
REPUBLICANS TAKE AWAY CIVIL RIGHTS
I'm not sure that works. People could just hear "Republicans" and "civil rights." I would go with "Republicans want to legalize discrimination." or something like that.
Antonia is this you or have you been hacked?
This is outstanding. Thanks so much for putting this together.
This is incredibly helpful, esp the DOs.
Hugely important and hugely frustrating when working in the social media sphere. I think I’ll take bits of this to post on bluesky (only the DO this parts!) as I’m also amplifying the Dems who are doing good stuff rather than honking on the ones not doing enough. Thanks!
Great article!!! You may know that those associations feed the Large Language Model (LLM) tools like ChatGPT perfectly. It’s complex, but “attention” in AI is just that - the model learns what words and phrases are commonly found together. The associations you propose e.g. “immigrants” with “hard-working” do also!
TOTALLY. That’s one reason we have to get out there and repeat things until we’re sick of hearing them!
I remember when Nixon kept saying “I am not a crook”!
It is best to avoid the use of the word “not” because it is skimmed over. Instead of saying, “Tariffs are not good for the American consumer,” say “Tariffs are paid for by the American consumer.”
tariffs are bad...
Department of Education protects children with chemo, enabling immunocompromised kids to be homeschooled while they receive treatment - like my six year old granddaughter