Bush the Conservative p. 12
The next example shows this tie in a much more direct fashion. The President jumps directly to the use of “your money” and ties it to the growth of government. He makes a direct claim that keeping “your money” in Washington is what “apologists” who “don’t stand on the side of the entrepreneur” want to do. There is no justification for doing so. The President again avoids any direct statement of taxes, instead simply saying that he just wants to give “your money” back.
Similarly, the third example the President speaks of “your money” and his goal of being “fiscally responsible”. In contrast, previous Administrations have had “spending orgies”. The words seem purposely chosen to evoke strong emotional attachment to the President. There is no explanation of what “fiscally responsible” or “spending orgies” mean – and no examples offered for how this will be accomplished.
The same arguments are laid out again in the next example. Here the President does give one example of fiscal irresponsibility – “bigger and bigger baselines of budgets”. There is no persuasive argument based on either logical, facts, or theory, though. It is a simple appeal that says, “I’m on your side. I’m like you.” It is based solely on the emotional appeal of someone fighting injustice. It is purely propaganda.
The final example adds only the repetition of “your money” almost to the point of a mantra. In three sentences, the term is used three times. The final sentence pairs it with “choice”, which operates as a synonym of “freedom” and “your family”, which functions to hammer a final nail into the idea that this is not based on widespread intellectual appeal, but a specific appeal to struggling families – which form a definite group in America – with and emotional appeal.
The cumulative effect of these appeals is to totally take the focus of taxes whatsoever. Instead, the focus is “your money”, which is tied to such strong emotional usage that it becomes a “God Word”. It is simply not possible to respond directly to the President’s rhetoric without agreeing that people should have control over their own money. All discussion in opposition is powerfully closed off. The sheer repetition of “your money” hammers the idea deeper and deeper into the psyche until it is just accepted as a fact and an emotional attachment is formed.
Go on to Page 13
Similarly, the third example the President speaks of “your money” and his goal of being “fiscally responsible”. In contrast, previous Administrations have had “spending orgies”. The words seem purposely chosen to evoke strong emotional attachment to the President. There is no explanation of what “fiscally responsible” or “spending orgies” mean – and no examples offered for how this will be accomplished.
The same arguments are laid out again in the next example. Here the President does give one example of fiscal irresponsibility – “bigger and bigger baselines of budgets”. There is no persuasive argument based on either logical, facts, or theory, though. It is a simple appeal that says, “I’m on your side. I’m like you.” It is based solely on the emotional appeal of someone fighting injustice. It is purely propaganda.
The final example adds only the repetition of “your money” almost to the point of a mantra. In three sentences, the term is used three times. The final sentence pairs it with “choice”, which operates as a synonym of “freedom” and “your family”, which functions to hammer a final nail into the idea that this is not based on widespread intellectual appeal, but a specific appeal to struggling families – which form a definite group in America – with and emotional appeal.
The cumulative effect of these appeals is to totally take the focus of taxes whatsoever. Instead, the focus is “your money”, which is tied to such strong emotional usage that it becomes a “God Word”. It is simply not possible to respond directly to the President’s rhetoric without agreeing that people should have control over their own money. All discussion in opposition is powerfully closed off. The sheer repetition of “your money” hammers the idea deeper and deeper into the psyche until it is just accepted as a fact and an emotional attachment is formed.
Go on to Page 13
© 2004 by Xpatriated Texan
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