![]() On the Contrary, when, as Lutz illustrates, words no longer are used to express meaning, but are used merely as devices to conceal and obscure meaning we must question the underlying reasons for this practice.For example, consider the difference between a "freedom fighter" and a "terrorist". Perhaps, as a result of these views you may consider William Lutz a bit hypervigilant, in need of enrollment to a labor reform camp for ideological re-education. Whether called propaganda or the manufacture of consent, the effect of the resulting manipulation of public sentiment is primarily the same. In Orwell's 1984 the vital role of language in a free society is explicitly investigated and as history as shown the manipulation of language and meaning is a basic tool of modern war. The point of this little exercise is to illustrate the often complex ways that language is becoming increasingly jargon-laden and obscured for the express purpose of concealing and obfuscating its meaning, and thus, managing our reactions to it, be that from our government, corporations, health care providers or media outlets. Or, to employ current doublespeak we could choose to call this same act: eliminating redundancies in the human resources area or destaffing., Then again, we could also say that the employees were derecruited, deselected, dis-employed, outplaced, non-retained or idled indefinitely. The Doublespeak Award is an 'ironic tribute to public speakers who have perpetuated language that is grossly deceptive, evasive, euphemistic, confusing, or self-centered.' It has been issued by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) since 1974. As Lutz points out it is precisely in the realm of meaning that understanding the jargon of doublespeak becomes vital.For example, the word "downsizing" is employed day in day out on the news to express what would be more appropriately described as the firing or laying off of employees. Doublespeak is often used by politicians for the advancement of their agenda. De Saussure pointed out that language is indeed an arbitrary creation, the meaning of which is dependent on little more than the whims of its speakers. ![]() Contrary to what some say language and its meaning is never dependent upon neutrality, it is, instead, always the subjective, creation of the speaker/author. In the same way, William Lutz seeks to expose the ways in which language is manipulated and transformed from units of meaning into a complex code of evasion and linguistic subterfuge. Thus, the image becomes the preferred tool of domination and the medium of modern propaganda. How is doublethink used in 1984 Lesson Summary As used in 1984, the concept of doublethink is the ability to hold two completely contradictory thoughts simultaneously while believing both of them to be true. The spectacle that results from a culture where 24 hour coverage of even the most insignificant of events, such as, Madonna's wedding, Lady Di's death, or the OJ trial-all interspersed with an endless onslaught of Nike ads, sitcom drivel-works explicitly to confuse and sedate the public (consumers)-insulating them from the unpleasant realities of war, famine and environmental destruction. Doublespeak is the use of euphemistic or ambiguous language in order to disguise what one is actually saying. doublespeak, a term coined by george orwell in his futurist dystopian novel,1984 language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses meaning to further an agenda, often by governments, corporations, marketers, or other power structures. William Lutz, professor of English at Rutgers University, talked about his book Double-Speak: The Use of Language to Deceive You.In Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord delved into the myriad of ways that modern society has been spectacularized through the mind-numbing assault by PR firms, advertisers and the media, in reiterating a culture where capitalism is presented as the only possible means of human existence. Orwellian doublespeak is the language of the hard Left leading a coup against Western democracies and their national sovereignty. He stated that double-speak is most prevalent in government, followed closely by the advertising industry. Doublespeak combines doublethink and newspeak in language that deliberately obscures, distorts, disguises, or reverses the meaning of words to manipulate public opinion in a mass social engineering effort. Lutz pointed out that his mission is not to eradicate double-speak, but to eliminate double-speak from the discourse of important issues where it is most dangerous. A unique analysis of American English, examples of double-speak are “human kinetics” in place of “physical education,” and “pavement deficiencies” instead of “potholes.” Double-speak is consciously used to manipulate. T20:00:19-05:00 William Lutz, professor of English at Rutgers University, talked about his book Double-Speak: The Use of Language to Deceive You.
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