rhetoric

Quote of the Day: martial language vs eliminationist rhetoric

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The problem is not martial language. The problem is the discussion of martial solutions, mentioned as actual policy options. That’s what “eliminationist rhetoric” means, you weaseling fucks.

ADDENDUM: Sarah Palin fans the heated rhetoric flames by playing the victim card and describing criticism as a “blood libel”. Seriously.

Fought and died “for the flag”?

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One thing that leaped out at me during the media blitz on the Battle of Trafalgar flag that fetched a record price at auction is that it brought out one of my least favourite pieces of rhetoric from the anonymous flag collector who won the auction, in a radio interview, about the connection he felt to those who had “fought and died for this flag”.

Sweet FSM, that phrase raises all my hackles.

That Ms. Cover

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As no doubt the editors hoped, this cover for Ms. Magazine’s Special Inaugural Issue has generated a lot of controversy. Many feminists feel that Obama’s feminist credentials are not nearly as strong as they could be, while the cover has generated an escalation in panic-mongering and shrill we-told-you-so’s from the religious right plus a great deal more snark about Obamessianic visions and rainbow unicorns from the neocon right.

“Moderate” language

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Image Credit: Karen Wehrstein, Gliese 581c, uploaded by Phil Plait The picture has nothing to do with the subject of the post, it’s just v. cool (follow the link). Lindsay Bernstein, of Majikthise, has a post up talking of the… Read More ›