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by Jeff Bergner
There is an old saw that if you torture statistics enough, they will tell you whatever you want to hear. Words are like this, too. In the interest of clarity during the current campaign season, here is a brief lexicon of how Democratic officials use words:
cost curve, bending down of. n. phrase. a way on paper to reduce federal spending without actually having to reduce federal spending
draconian. adj. any proposed reduction, however minor, in the long-term growth of federal spending
entitlement. n. a government formula to provide benefits to people who are not otherwise entitled to them
extreme. adj. 1. any political position supported by conservatives
fair share. n. phrase. indefinite number; any number greater than the current top tax rate
gridlock. n. Congressional inactivity caused by Republican obstructionism. See special interest
investment. n. any federal spending, especially any federal spending where an actual economic return cannot possibly be measured
leadership, American. n. phrase. a process in which American leaders reach out to Russia and China, in order to give them a UN Security Council veto over American foreign policy
loophole. n. a provision of law, either deliberate or inadvertent, in which an economic activity has somehow escaped taxation
mandatory spending. n. phrase. spending which Congress pretends cannot be changed by simple passage of a new law
meat ax. n. phrase. any attempt to reduce spending proportionally across the board. Opposed to a scalpel, carefully and thoughtfully crafted spending cuts which will never occur
out years. n. phrase. a mythical future time when politicians do not need to display courage to reduce the federal deficit
shared sacrifice. n. phrase. when some Americans are made to pay more of what is theirs while others receive less of what is given to them for free
special interest. n. phrase. any individual or group which supports Republicans
subsidy, oil company. n. phrase. allowing oil companies to reduce their large tax payments in order to encourage exploration. As opposed to the English word subsidy, meaning a grant of money. See tax expenditure
tax expenditure. n. phrase. an occasion when the federal government allows you to keep a portion of your own money. See Orwell, George. See Kafka, Franz.
waste, fraud and abuse. n. phrase. in Washington, an inside joke; in the rest of America, a lie
Is this too cynical? Is it really possible, as Alice says in Wonderland, that elected officials use words to mean whatever they want? That, of course, depends on what the meaning of “is” is.
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