Protest against language corruption

[Womble]

I've been visiting the blog of a certain ISM activist. There is a lot of things to be said about them, but what strikes me as truly absurd is their use of language. They are walking talking collections of cliches. One guy comments on a post of mine with the following words:

Its a patently pro-Israel message that binds the interests of Israeli hawks to US policy.

How moronic a choice of metaphors is that??? How, pray tell, does one "bind hawks to policy"? Do these people ever visualize their metaphors?

The same guy in a moment of frustration caused by my humble presence:

I don't think I could take his pompous, reactionary regurgitation of whatever is posted

"Reactionary regurgitation"? Sounds like a cool trick, but how do I do that??? How do you regurgitate in a reactionary way, and even pompous at that?

I go to the "mother website", the homepage of their organization- and here's from their mission statement:

The International Solidarity Movement is also dedicated to creating ongoing and continuous support for justice efforts there by encouraging internationals to volunteer for ongoing programmes of civil disobedience and development of Palestinian economic infrastructure, and in other ways to work for justice in Palestine, an end to Israel’s occupation and its subsidization by the United States, and a reconciliation between the government and people of Israel with their Palestinian neighbours.

Now, forget about the issue in question. I am talking about the butchering of the English language here. Hell, I am a foreigner and I still get an ear ache from combinations like "programmes of disobedience", words like "subsidization", euphemisms like "internationals" and the tautology of "ongoing support for ongoing programmes".

Do they not realize that all their proclamations are becoming increasingly unreadable, and their persuasion power drops with each moronic metaphor, each tautology, each use of ridiculous wording like that?

What the hell have these people done to themselves that makes them unable to talk like normal human beings???

[rhodescholar]

I've been visiting the blog of a certain ISM activist. There is a lot of things to be said about them, but what strikes me as truly absurd is their use of language. They are walking talking collections of cliches. One guy comments on a post of mine with the following words:

Its a patently pro-Israel message that binds the interests of Israeli hawks to US policy.

How moronic a choice of metaphors is that??? How, pray tell, does one "bind hawks to policy"? Do these people ever visualize their metaphors?

The same guy in a moment of frustration caused by my humble presence:

I don't think I could take his pompous, reactionary regurgitation of whatever is posted

"Reactionary regurgitation"? Sounds like a cool trick, but how do I do that??? How do you regurgitate in a reactionary way, and even pompous at that?

I go to the "mother website", the homepage of their organization- and here's from their mission statement:

The International Solidarity Movement is also dedicated to creating ongoing and continuous support for justice efforts there by encouraging internationals to volunteer for ongoing programmes of civil disobedience and development of Palestinian economic infrastructure, and in other ways to work for justice in Palestine, an end to Israel’s occupation and its subsidization by the United States, and a reconciliation between the government and people of Israel with their Palestinian neighbours.

Now, forget about the issue in question. I am talking about the butchering of the English language here. Hell, I am a foreigner and I still get an ear ache from combinations like "programmes of disobedience", words like "subsidization", euphemisms like "internationals" and the tautology of "ongoing support for ongoing programmes".

Do they not realize that all their proclamations are becoming increasingly unreadable, and their persuasion power drops with each moronic metaphor, each tautology, each use of ridiculous wording like that?

What the hell have these people done to themselves that makes them unable to talk like normal human beings???

Keep in mind that those that who participate in their "programmes of civil disobedience" are the not the best and brightest, with the most potentially successful futures ahead of them.

A person with a lucrative, fulfilling and rewarding career ahead of them doesnt get on a plane and venture into the west bank territories to sidle up with terrorist/murderders.

The fault is clearly with you; your expectations are too high.

[KettleWhistle]

What the hell have these people done to themselves that makes them unable to talk like normal human beings???

Genetics. It can be a powerful thing.

[SteveK]

I've been visiting the blog of a certain ISM activist. There is a lot of things to be said about them, but what strikes me as truly absurd is their use of language. They are walking talking collections of cliches. One guy comments on a post of mine with the following words:

Its a patently pro-Israel message that binds the interests of Israeli hawks to US policy.

How moronic a choice of metaphors is that??? How, pray tell, does one "bind hawks to policy"? Do these people ever visualize their metaphors?

The same guy in a moment of frustration caused by my humble presence:

I don't think I could take his pompous, reactionary regurgitation of whatever is posted

"Reactionary regurgitation"? Sounds like a cool trick, but how do I do that??? How do you regurgitate in a reactionary way, and even pompous at that?

I go to the "mother website", the homepage of their organization- and here's from their mission statement:

The International Solidarity Movement is also dedicated to creating ongoing and continuous support for justice efforts there by encouraging internationals to volunteer for ongoing programmes of civil disobedience and development of Palestinian economic infrastructure, and in other ways to work for justice in Palestine, an end to Israel’s occupation and its subsidization by the United States, and a reconciliation between the government and people of Israel with their Palestinian neighbours.

Now, forget about the issue in question. I am talking about the butchering of the English language here. Hell, I am a foreigner and I still get an ear ache from combinations like "programmes of disobedience", words like "subsidization", euphemisms like "internationals" and the tautology of "ongoing support for ongoing programmes".

Do they not realize that all their proclamations are becoming increasingly unreadable, and their persuasion power drops with each moronic metaphor, each tautology, each use of ridiculous wording like that?

What the hell have these people done to themselves that makes them unable to talk like normal human beings???

Hi Womble,

I am only commenting on some use of language here which you found annoying and meaningless:

1. "binds interests of hawks to U.S. policy"

interests of the hawks, and not hawks themselves, are being
bound to U.S. policy.
policy is something made up of interests. It fits.


2. "reactionary regurgitation of whatever is posted"

have you ever vomited in a planned, "proactive" way to something
that nauseated you? the response is usually rather "reactionary".
Yes, regurgitation is a pompous act. if you just did the motions
in front of someone without the actual stomach upheaval, then one
could say that you were acting in an aggressive and pompous way.
Try making a point to someone with these motions upchucking your
words.

3. About their butchering of the English language,- if you can't dazzle them
with brilliance, so baffle them with bull****, as they say.

I'm afraid that I have that genetic abnormality of which KW speaks. I like
to use metaphors also. I'll see what I can grab from their mother of a mother website.

Thanks for the lead.

[Womble]

Hi Womble,

I am only commenting on some use of language here which you found annoying and meaningless:

1. "binds interests of hawks to U.S. policy"

interests of the hawks, and not hawks themselves, are being
bound to U.S. policy.
policy is something made up of interests. It fits.

Umm you are missing my point. I am talking about casual use of metaphors, devalued to the point of ridiculous. Metaphors are used to invoke a visual image. Calling someone a "hawk" invokes an image of a bird of pray, saying that something "binds" one thing to another also invokes an image. "Binding interests of hawks to policy" is a combination of metaphors that makes no sense whatsoever if visualized. It's a classic case of casual, thoughtless language abuse. Other common metaphors, used all the time by people who are too ideologically entrenched, involves devalued metaphors like "stand shoulder to shoulder with", "play into the hands of", "fishing in troubled waters" and such like.

2. "reactionary regurgitation of whatever is posted"

have you ever vomited in a planned, "proactive" way to something
that nauseated you? the response is usually rather "reactionary".
Yes, regurgitation is a pompous act. if you just did the motions
in front of someone without the actual stomach upheaval, then one
could say that you were acting in an aggressive and pompous way.
Try making a point to someone with these motions upchucking your
words.

You've lost me here.

I'm afraid that I have that genetic abnormality of which KW speaks. I like
to use metaphors also.

Umm yes you do, and in the silliest way at times. Example:

They could be bringing God in front of our nation, instead of keeping Him collecting dust as just one of those books on a shelf in their Yeshivas.

God collecting dust? What kind of visual image does THAT summon, especially for a Jewish person for whom God cannot be visualized??? Try to refrain entirely from metaphors involving God, they are all inherently dumb.

Or this one:

America's melting pot could turn into a living burning hell if it tipped over with any spread of anarchy.

This sentence is so loaded with devalued metaphors, and they are so badly combined that it rivals the stupidity of the ISM mission statement. This is a case of a truly spectacular language abuse.

[SteveK]

Hi Womble,

Is English your native language?

[Womble]

Hi Womble,

Is English your native language?

No, but I am a screenplay writer. Can't be indifferent to words, you see

[SteveK]

No, but I am a screenplay writer. Can't be indifferent to words, you see

Womble,

You once mentioned in one of your other posts about "having to go to work as a human shield for minimum wage".

One has to trust in the words of others also.

[Womble]

Womble,

You once mentioned in one of your other posts about "having to go to work as a human shield for minimum wage".

One has to trust in the words of others also.

Unfortunately, one does not contradict another. It is damn hard to make a living as a freelance writer, and at the moment I am stuck as a security guard in the Ramat Aviv mall (feel free to drop by ). However, I have a degree in screenplay writing from the Tel-Aviv university, and I've been writing stuff since I was 12 and even got some things published.

Was that what you were implying, or did you have some other point to make? Because if you were picking on the "human shield" metaphor, it is a fairly adequate use of it. I am human, and I fulfill the function of an anti-suicide bomber device at the entrance to the mall.

[SteveK]

Unfortunately, one does not contradict another. It is damn hard to make a living as a freelance writer, and at the moment I am stuck as a security guard in the Ramat Aviv mall (feel free to drop by ). However, I have a degree in screenplay writing from the Tel-Aviv university, and I've been writing stuff since I was 12 and even got some things published.

Was that what you were implying, or did you have some other point to make? Because if you were picking on the "human shield" metaphor, it is a fairly adequate use of it. I am human, and I fulfill the function of an anti-suicide bomber device at the entrance to the mall.

Womble,

I don't use my *vegOmatic mouth on Israelis, unless you are screaming, as usual for Israelis, on your cellular phone within a 2 meter radius from me.
I'm not a writer, and the only thing that I remember about any advice to writers was from my 8th grade English teacher. She told us aspiring writers some advice given by some very famous author, who I don't remember, "plow your own field".

I know that forums attract journalists and writers. Not knowing your
subject(s) of interest for professional writing, I just hope that your "own field for plowing" is not the distorted portrayal-betrayal of the meaning of Zionism for something other than what it is as the return of the Jewish People as one united sovereign nation in their ancestral homeland.

I will come by in the very near future to visit you.


*vegOmatic is a trade name for a simple home kitchen tool for slicing and dicing vegetables.

[wellofvow]

Shucks, I was disappointed when I read the posts in this thread. I thought that somebody else out there was with me in my anger over the Palestinian propaganda lines which hijack the English language and in doing this, rewrite history.

"The jackboot of Israeli occupation" currently has me grinding my teeth - and I can't afford a trip to the dentist right now, thank you. This conveniently brings up the immediate and inevitable picture of the Jews-as-Nazis vomitus.

"Palestinian Holocaust" is another yukkie.

And of course there are the countries and the publications that just can't seem to be able to call a terrorist a terrorist if he murders in Israel. He is a gunman, a militant, a fighter, gee, I haven't read guerilla for a while, wonder what happened to that one?

[SteveK]

Shucks, I was disappointed when I read the posts in this thread. I thought that somebody else out there was with me in my anger over the Palestinian propaganda lines which hijack the English language and in doing this, rewrite history. ...

Hi wellofvow,

Let's face it. The Arabs have more knowledge for manipulating the human psyche in their crooked little collective finger, than the whole free world has in our cockeyed collective head.

Dogs tend to eat their own vomit. But, it's interesting why such Palestinian puke is also so tasty to so many Israelis, who also share in rewriting history.