George
Orwell has talked a lot of improper English language using and the connection between
politics and language. He also pointed that the politicians can make lies sound
truthful by political language. I cannot agree more. Since, nowadays, it is not
surprising that the politicians can make themselves convinced even though they
are lying. For instance, Barack Obama, the president of the United States, is
an excellent orator and he also has a good sense of humor. But actually,
sometimes he can be not that honest.
In
one of his speeches in 2016, he said: “That is what the Affordable Care Act is
all about. It is about filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we
lose a job, or go back to school, or start that new business, we’ll still have
coverage.”
However,
this is not truth. Since the Affordable Care Act failed to protect the
insurance coverage for millions of Americans who did not change jobs. It has
caused millions of full-time jobs to become part-time. Besides, it also made
the premiums get higher substantially.
Nevertheless,
by the language he used, like “That is what...” and “It is about filling the
gaps…” which could make people feel his efforts and his confidence toward the
policy. Also, people can feel the emphasis of what he was willing to tell them,
which could make people feel like they are covered by the policy. On the other
hand, most of people actually are not.
As a
result, I think I agree to Orwell. The political language can be used to make
lies feel like truth, and it is basically what politicians intends to tell
people, rather than the truth.
Huiling-
ReplyDeleteOrwell's political stance and the English language is definitely demonstrated throughout this blog. However I am curious about which Obama's speech you are referring to. I am a little confused about what you mean by Obama's use of language of using, "That is what..." and "It is about filling the gaps...". Is it possible that you mean the tone of his language as well? Furthermore, I'm wondering if you found any other references to Orwell's article. For example, does Obama use any meaningless words or any pretentious dictions in his speech? If so, how does he use them to engage his audience?
Huiling-
ReplyDeleteAfter read your blog, I agree with what you wrote in this article. I think the sentences you refer to came from his State of the Union address this year. As his final State of the Union address, it mainly reflects on two aspects: first is what role he plays during his presidency. The other one is to lead public opinion of presidential election. I think you also mention the tone of his language as well. The tone represents his confidence and encourages Americans to lend their energy, talent, and ambition to make nation better and stronger. What’s more, I think his speech “mixture vagueness and sheer incompetence” as well. We can also find some examples in his speech.