A few days ago I commented on the use of the term "phobia" as a rhetorical power play (in that case it was attached to "Islamo-").
Use of the term "denier" follows a parallel path. When we label someone who disagrees with us on a subject a denier, we are saying that not only that they are wrong, but that they are actually in denial about something that is obviously true. Denial being a psychological defense or coping mechanism that is not rational process we are saying that there is something psychologically wrong with those who disagree with us on a given subject, in the same way that saying their disagreement with our obviously right position results from a phobia on their part implicitly states that only the mentally ill could possibly hold a contrary position.
And once we reach that conclusion we hardly have to deal with their arguments in a respectful manner now do we?
Yes, & as I was going to say, take Naziphobia. Nobody would say Naziphobia because it is pretty obvious that the Nazis were worthy of being hated and/or feared and it was not irrational to do so. You would not mock or devalue someone for hating or fearing Nazis. Or cancer. Or the decline of civilization.
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10 comments:
Go Macro!
Holy macro!
Should be Required Reading for all males in College
Thomas Friedman, the University of Wisconsin, and Israel:
“And one day, you’ll wake up 10 years from now, and you’ll discover that your prime minister cannot speak at the University of Wisconsin.”
What does our feminist hostess have to say about the Cosmo party buses in NC?
Why does everybody nowadays say, "I'd still support Obama, whether he's an idiot or whether he's just incompetent"?
Instead of "I'd still support Obama, whether he's an idiot or just incompetent"?
Doesn't the SAT test for grammar anymore?
Gray is not your color, Althouse. Try leaf green or rust red.
"Try leaf green or rust red."
Ugh.
Like I'm an idiot.
A few days ago I commented on the use of the term "phobia" as a rhetorical power play (in that case it was attached to "Islamo-").
Use of the term "denier" follows a parallel path. When we label someone who disagrees with us on a subject a denier, we are saying that not only that they are wrong, but that they are actually in denial about something that is obviously true. Denial being a psychological defense or coping mechanism that is not rational process we are saying that there is something psychologically wrong with those who disagree with us on a given subject, in the same way that saying their disagreement with our obviously right position results from a phobia on their part implicitly states that only the mentally ill could possibly hold a contrary position.
And once we reach that conclusion we hardly have to deal with their arguments in a respectful manner now do we?
Yes, & as I was going to say, take Naziphobia. Nobody would say Naziphobia because it is pretty obvious that the Nazis were worthy of being hated and/or feared and it was not irrational to do so. You would not mock or devalue someone for hating or fearing Nazis. Or cancer. Or the decline of civilization.
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