Doublespeak
By Julian Burnside
"Outside the realm of high art, language is intended to convey meaning. Ideally, it should do so accurately. Some writers and speakers betray this ideal, and use language as a sham to mask an intellectual void; or worse, as a stalking horse for quite different ideas they dare not acknowledge. ...
"Tact is kind; diplomacy is useful; euphemism is harmless and sometimes entertaining. By contrast, doublespeak is dishonest and dangerous.
"In his closing address at Nuremberg, US prosecutor Robert Jackson said:
"'Nor is the lie direct the only means of falsehood. [the Defendants] all speak with a Nazi double talk with which to deceive the unwary. In the Nazi dictionary of sardonic euphemisms "final solution" of the Jewish problem was a phrase which meant extermination; "special treatment" of prisoners of war meant killing; "protective custody" meant concentration camp; "duty labor" meant slave labor; and an order to "take a firm attitude" or "take positive measures" meant to act with unrestrained savagery.'
"When Soviet tanks invaded Prague in 1968, the manoeuvre was described as “fraternal internationalist assistance to the Czechoslovak people”.
"The war in Vietnam produced such doublespeak expressions as:
"Collateral damage meaning killing innocent civilians
Energetic disassembly meaning nuclear explosion
Incontinent ordnance meaning bombs which hit schools and hospitals by mistake
Active defence meaning invasion.
"Doublespeak uses language to smuggle uncomfortable ideas into comfortable minds. The Nazi regime were masters at it. Many governments today are enthusiastic imitators.
"The victims of incontinent ordnance, or active defence, or fraternal internationalist assistance often flee for safety. A small number of them arrive in Australia asking for help. They commit no offence under Australian or international law by arriving here without an invitation, in order to seek protection. Nonetheless the Australian Government refers to them as 'illegals'. This is done for a purpose: these people are immediately locked up without trial. No doubt it seems less offensive to lock up 'illegals' than to lock up the innocent, traumatised human beings that they are.
"They are also disparaged as 'queue jumpers': a neat device which falsely suggests two things. First that there is a queue, and second that it is in some way appropriate to stand in line when your life is at risk.
"When the 'illegals/queue jumpers' arrive, they are 'detained' This means that they are locked up without trial, for an indefinite period - typically months or years. If necessary, they can be detained for the rest of their lives.
"Baxter detention centre is surrounded by a 9000 volt electric fence. But in the doublespeak of the Department of Immigration, this is an 'energised courtesy fence'.
Solitary confinement, which is regularly used, is called ‘separation detention’ or ‘the management unit’ ..."
Source: Perspective
By Julian Burnside
"Outside the realm of high art, language is intended to convey meaning. Ideally, it should do so accurately. Some writers and speakers betray this ideal, and use language as a sham to mask an intellectual void; or worse, as a stalking horse for quite different ideas they dare not acknowledge. ...
"Tact is kind; diplomacy is useful; euphemism is harmless and sometimes entertaining. By contrast, doublespeak is dishonest and dangerous.
"In his closing address at Nuremberg, US prosecutor Robert Jackson said:
"'Nor is the lie direct the only means of falsehood. [the Defendants] all speak with a Nazi double talk with which to deceive the unwary. In the Nazi dictionary of sardonic euphemisms "final solution" of the Jewish problem was a phrase which meant extermination; "special treatment" of prisoners of war meant killing; "protective custody" meant concentration camp; "duty labor" meant slave labor; and an order to "take a firm attitude" or "take positive measures" meant to act with unrestrained savagery.'
"When Soviet tanks invaded Prague in 1968, the manoeuvre was described as “fraternal internationalist assistance to the Czechoslovak people”.
"The war in Vietnam produced such doublespeak expressions as:
"Collateral damage meaning killing innocent civilians
Energetic disassembly meaning nuclear explosion
Incontinent ordnance meaning bombs which hit schools and hospitals by mistake
Active defence meaning invasion.
"Doublespeak uses language to smuggle uncomfortable ideas into comfortable minds. The Nazi regime were masters at it. Many governments today are enthusiastic imitators.
"The victims of incontinent ordnance, or active defence, or fraternal internationalist assistance often flee for safety. A small number of them arrive in Australia asking for help. They commit no offence under Australian or international law by arriving here without an invitation, in order to seek protection. Nonetheless the Australian Government refers to them as 'illegals'. This is done for a purpose: these people are immediately locked up without trial. No doubt it seems less offensive to lock up 'illegals' than to lock up the innocent, traumatised human beings that they are.
"They are also disparaged as 'queue jumpers': a neat device which falsely suggests two things. First that there is a queue, and second that it is in some way appropriate to stand in line when your life is at risk.
"When the 'illegals/queue jumpers' arrive, they are 'detained' This means that they are locked up without trial, for an indefinite period - typically months or years. If necessary, they can be detained for the rest of their lives.
"Baxter detention centre is surrounded by a 9000 volt electric fence. But in the doublespeak of the Department of Immigration, this is an 'energised courtesy fence'.
Solitary confinement, which is regularly used, is called ‘separation detention’ or ‘the management unit’ ..."
Source: Perspective
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