Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:10 pm Post subject: Politician speak
I was just looking on the website of the Scottish Liberal Democrats (http://www.scotlibdems.org.uk), when I found a quotation from their leader, Nicol Stephen, emphasised at the top of one of their policy pages:
Nicol Stephen wrote:
I’m passionate about empowering people and communities. I want to unlock the creativity, energy and enthusiasm of people in communities across Scotland. I want to see real community power. It is time to put trust in people. By empowering people to initiate improvements to their local neighbourhoods place by place, we can invigorate our communities.
It all sounds very impressive, but does it actually mean anything?
He's used the sort of language that many politicians often seem to use. I actually wonder if it's deliberately intended to impress people, but not really be understood.
So, do many the politicians that you're familiar with tend to use this sort of language?
A rather 'cute' picture of Nicol Stephen:
Actually, there are seem to be at least three pictures of him on almost every page of the party's website.
Well, that's the usual commonplace demagogic nonsense that most politicians keep spouting all the time. It all sounds great but there are serious problems with the actual implementation. If you look at the quotation it's easy to see that there's nothing concrete and plausible behind the catchprases and unnecessary embellishments. Politicians (there are always exceptions, though) think if they throw around words like "community", "energy", "enthusiasm" and "creativity", their success is guaranteed. Actually, in the vast majority of cases they are right...sadly enough, people swallow it. Quite frankly, I think a politician who is really and truly sincere and not ill-willed is a rara avis. Rant over.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not that cynical to play down the importance of values like "community sense" and "enthusiasm" etc., but unfortunately I have experienced that these politicians hardly ever practise what they preach.
I like the picture of him, though. It's really cute, as you put it quite rightly. _________________ Az alvástól megéhezem. Az evéstől elálmosodom. Az élet szép.
Yes, it look like he is become an helicopter wiht the propeller going up from his back and he will fly away in a monty Python film
His speehc doesn't mean much I think. What locked up the creativity,energy & enthsiasm so it must be unlocked by him like abracadabra ? Invigorate the community for what exactlty? Oh well, it's better than if he'd say "the people of Scotland are absolutly stupid and idiot so I can't be bothered to initiate some improvemtns at all, goodbye." Real community power, it's like Spice Girls power or girl power just a quite silly slogan without true significance. Typical politic rubbish. I don't listen politicians they're too boring and lyers, many want to get all the power so they can manipulate. At least the drunk sarkozy film has provided something differentLOL!!!
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:56 am Post subject: Re: Politician speak
Benjamin wrote:
Nicol Stephen wrote:
I’m passionate about empowering people and communities. I want to unlock the creativity, energy and enthusiasm of people in communities across Scotland. I want to see real community power. It is time to put trust in people. By empowering people to initiate improvements to their local neighbourhoods place by place, we can invigorate our communities.
I think there is a phrase for this... "All sizzle, and no steak"
His speehc doesn't mean much I think. What locked up the creativity,energy & enthsiasm so it must be unlocked by him like abracadabra ? Invigorate the community for what exactlty? Oh well, it's better than if he'd say "the people of Scotland are absolutly stupid and idiot so I can't be bothered to initiate some improvemtns at all, goodbye." Real community power, it's like Spice Girls power or girl power just a quite silly slogan without true significance.
LOL!
Here's another 'cute' picture of him:
This time he seems to be trapped inside an aeroplane engine!
He seems to be obsessed with engines, wind power plants and suchlike. I liked Pauline's idea of Spice Girls -- girlpower. However, I think he is more likely to put his trust in windpower, solar energy. And he's creativity personified waiting to be unlocked! Just look at the second picture! LOL!
P.S.: People with the name "Nicolas" or something similar seem to be a little eccentric, in descending order of eccentricity: Nicolas Sarkozy (very strange), Nicol Stephen (strange), my granddad (just a bit strange - in a positive way, though). _________________ Az alvástól megéhezem. Az evéstől elálmosodom. Az élet szép.
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:05 am Post subject: Re: Politician speak
Benjamin wrote:
So, do many the politicians that you're familiar with tend to use this sort of language?
C'est ce qu'on appelle parler pour ne rien dire, ou débiter des paroles creuses. C'est une forme de langue de bois. La langue de bois est l'idiome universel de tous les politiciens.
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:31 am Post subject: Re: Politician speak
greg in noord-frankrijk wrote:
C'est ce qu'on appelle parler pour ne rien dire, ou débiter des paroles creuses. C'est une forme de langue de bois. La langue de bois est l'idiome universel de tous les politiciens.
Sad but true. _________________ Az alvástól megéhezem. Az evéstől elálmosodom. Az élet szép.
However, I think he is more likely to put his trust in windpower, solar energy. And he's creativity personified waiting to be unlocked! Just look at the second picture! LOL!
Lol! I'm afraid he might be a bit of a disappointment to you though — if you look at the Scottish media, it seems that Nicol Stephen is widely regarded as the most boring major politician in Scotland, and that the Liberal Democrats are widely regarded as the most boring political party in Scotland. Oh well.
He says: 'While the SNP and Labour squabble, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have been making a really positive contribution to...'
Yes yes, of course. Even though they spent the past eight years as a minor coalition partner with Labour, all the problems with that administration were apparently Labour's fault, whilst the good things, Nicol Stephen believes, were largely the result of the LibDems... yeah.
Last edited by Benjamin [inactive] on Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
"politics" = 'Poli' (Latin) meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.
LOL, Pauline!!!! C'est un peu épais...aber sehr passend...Nice piece of false etimology there - I laughed out loud!
benjamin wrote:
I'm afraid he might be a bit of a disappointment to you though — if you look at the Scottish media, it seems that Nicol Stephen is widely regarded as the most boring major politician in Scotland, and that the Liberal Democrats are widely regarded as the most boring political party in Scotland. Oh well.
No, he isn't. As you might have noticed, I was being slightly ironic there since I'm fully aware of the fact that he is widely considered to be extremely boring. Even if I wasn't, I wouldn't have to rack my brain to guess his character because he definitely comes across as the epitome of the boring politician.
The LibDems might be the most boring political party in Scotland but I'm not very fond of the Scottish Nationalist Party, either, despite it's more "exciting" nature. Mind you, I'm not particularly au fait with current political issues of Scotland as I'm not living there.
benjamin wrote:
He says: 'While the SNP and Labour squabble, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have been making a really positive contribution to...'
Just be reasonable - what else could he say? No (in)sane politician would lapse into self-deprecation in public, would he? _________________ Az alvástól megéhezem. Az evéstől elálmosodom. Az élet szép.
No, he isn't. As you might have noticed, I was being slightly ironic there since I'm fully aware of the fact that he is widely considered to be extremely boring. Even if I wasn't, I wouldn't have to rack my brain to guess his character because he definitely comes across as the epitome of the boring politician.
Lol — there's another video on their website from a few years ago, which starts off:
'There's something really exciting happening in Scottish politics. Nicol Stephen has just been elected leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.'
Well, I'm just totally ecstatic to hear about it.
(By the way, I'm surprised that you knew about Nicol Stephen already — I'm sure that 99% of people in England have no idea who he is).
Liz wrote:
The LibDems might be the most boring political party in Scotland but I'm not very fond of the Scottish Nationalist Party, either, despite it's more "exciting" nature.
Although I'm sympathetic towards Scottish independence, I can't say that I'm a huge fan of the SNP either. However, I certainly see them as preferable to Scottish Labour.
(By the way, I'm surprised that you knew about Nicol Stephen already — I'm sure that 99% of people in England have no idea who he is).
As I'm a double major in English and German, we have and used to have lots of seminars on British culture, history and politics. And I'm trying to keep up with curent affairs as much as I can. Not much. _________________ Az alvástól megéhezem. Az evéstől elálmosodom. Az élet szép.
So, do many the politicians that you're familiar with tend to use this sort of language?
If I understand greg correctly I can but agree. It does seem like they all talk like that. There's a Swedish TV show called Parlamentet and one of the most hilarious parts in it (it's sort of a contest) is where the host asks questions, and if the contestants answer Yes or No or if they hesitate they lose! That's how politicians here talk; they never answer any questions. But they are good at telling us that they will improve this and that.
If I understand greg correctly I can but agree. It does seem like they all talk like that. There's a Swedish TV show called Parlamentet and one of the most hilarious parts in it (it's sort of a contest) is where the host asks questions, and if the contestants answer Yes or No or if they hesitate they lose! That's how politicians here talk; they never answer any questions. But they are good at telling us that they will improve this and that.
Exactly. It seems to be generally characteristic of almost all politicians, no matter which country they hail from _________________ Az alvástól megéhezem. Az evéstől elálmosodom. Az élet szép.
I was watching a rather saucy youtube video called "I got a crush on Obama" this afternoon. It was hard to form an educated opinion of the song, but one thing is sure: if political lingo is anywhere as entertaining as the lyrics, politician-speak would receive a massive shot on the arm. (Sample lyrics: "You can Barack me tonight" and "Universal health care reform, it makes me warm").
As the Presidential election in America begins to heat up, we are afforded with a wonderful opportunity in putting politician-speak under the global microscope. Voters are not swayed by facts and figures. As the serpent proved with Eve, political language is about the subtle art of persuasion. If winning the hearts and minds of your listeners means partaking in the dark arts of deceit, insults, deriision and scurrility, so be it. These are all legitimate weapons in a politician's arsenal anyway. Even in the days of Homer, heroes and gods alike were happy to make their points by jeering at their antagonists. Sledging one's opponent abounds in the world of politics and I see nothing wrong with an occasional punch below the belt.
The former Labor Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating, was famous for badmouthing his opponents. I still chortle whenever I recall his (in)famous rebuke to an opposition backbencher: "Shut up! You sit down, you son of a prostitute. No, you shut your gob and listen to me!"
Paul Keating also told his predecessor, Malcolm Fraser, that he closely resembled an Easter island statue with an arse full of razor blades. This is a true Keating classic and a visible manifestation of the Australian attitude to the English language.
Keating was never one to mince his words. He was a champion of directness: he always made his intentions clear. When Her Britannic Majesty visited Australia in her capacity as Queen of Australia, Keating famously put his arms around Her Majesty's waist, drawing mirth from the Australian media but gasps from their British counterparts.
But Australians, I noticed, have never been one for subtleness. I much prefer the discreet put downs by British politicians. Winston Churchill called Attlee, whose Labour government created the Welfare state, a modest little man with much to be modest about. Attlee's cronies reciprocrated warmly by accusing the wartime Prime Minister of petrified adolescence.
It is always heartwarming to see grown men slanging each other off. What a marvellous sport it is.
While others take a dim view of politician speak or what the French call la langue du bois, I prefer to take a more enlightened perspective. I hope that politicians would continue to sledge one another off, unencumbered by the straight-laced and hypocritical traditions that demand our politicians to speak honestly. It would be a sad world if our politicians start to adopt the strange American notion that in Parliament, courtesy and reasoned argument have pride of place. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
Oh, you mean that thing where you can't be rude, and no one else can talk while you have the floor? Seems pretty sensible to me. Of course, C-Span's broadcasts of congressional debates can be used as a sovereign remedy for insomnia....that's for sure! _________________ An apple a day....
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:56 pm Post subject: Re: Politician speak
Benjamin wrote:
It all sounds very impressive, but does it actually mean anything?
He's used the sort of language that many politicians often seem to use. I actually wonder if it's deliberately intended to impress people, but not really be understood.
It can't be understood because like you said it doesn't really say anything. Politicians market themselves by appealing to the emotions of the populace without saying anything they can actually be held accountable for. When you take a stand, or propose a solution to an issue, then your competitors as well as the media have something to sink their teeth into and discredit you, or at least find fault with, or debate you. When you speak in vague generalities that appeal to people's emotions and the collective dreams, aspirations and delusions of the populace and never make an actual point of contention, then no one has anything to debate with you about. Unfortunately, it also means that the electorate never actually knows what you stand for either and thus are voting blind, but politicians will no doubt argue that this technique simply reflects the realities of the modern electoral process. Its about fooling the public into electing you without actually engaging them, but offering a manufactured image instead. The image which inspires the electorate the most by reflecting their notions of good, able leadership potential most effectively wins. In that scenario, actual ideas kill you quicker than anything.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Join! (free) 
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
