Name Change
Perceptive writers from William Shakespeare to George Orwell to radical leftist Saul Alinsky have all recognized the power of names. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo laments to his paramour (with, unfortunately, the wrong family name): “‘tis but thy NAME that is my enemy!” In Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, 1984, names are deemed so important that the reverse meaning of words in “Newspeak” (the secret police, for example, was called the Ministry of Love, or Miniluv, for short) is one of the principle means by which an authoritarian “Big Brother” government controls the populace. In Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals” he states, verbatim: “Words have power and there can be no substitute for the right word.” And so it is today as well.
There is much irony, for example, in the chosen moniker of today’s radical American leftists: “Antifa”, which is an acronym for, supposedly, “ANTI FAscists,” who are, in reality, the very epitome of fascism. If the reader is skeptical of my claim here, I would ask he or she to simply compare Amtifa’s tactics in contemporary America (their violence, intimidation, and silencing of free speech on campus, to name a few) to those of the “Brown Shirts” of early Nazi fascism in Germany…. Not much of a difference, is there?
There are many more examples I could cite, but the name I’d like to focus on here is one that gets considerable play these days: the Trump Derangement Syndrome. Although there is NO question that such a condition exists (just listen to the absolutely lunatic babel from Maxine Waters, Rashida Tlaib and nearly every denizen of the Hollywood Hills) I don’t particularly like the name.
My biggest gripe with it is that it doesn’t make clear exactly WHO is deranged. Is it Trump himself? Or is it Trump’s behavior that makes OTHER people become deranged? Or is it “Anti Trumpers” with their hysterical reactions, that are the ones who are deranged? The term was INVENTED, of course, to indicate the latter, but I’d prefer the terminology to be less ambiguous. While exploring this matter further an excellent alternative was suggested (thanks, LRM). Since the vast majority of the derangement hysterics are meant to be direct attacks against the President, one could be forgiven for concluding that they are nothing less than bold faced PERSECUTION of the man. As is obvious in the nearly constant rants not just from the lunatic fringe as mentioned above, but also from supposedly more “mainstream” individuals such as Speaker Pelosi (who recently said she wanted to have to the White House “FUMIGATED”. No kidding!) Adam Schiff (who openly lied to the American public about his “investigations” of Trump multiple times) to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (who, not long ago, threatened President Trump’s SUPREME COURT appointees with violence!).
Yes, a never ending persecution it certainly is, thereby making a new name for the whole phenomenon absolutely IRRESISTIBLE: “The Trump Persecution Syndrome.” THAT should clear things up. Pass it on!