racist code words

Norm   Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:24 am GMT
I heard on TV that Sarah Palin used racist code words in her campaign. Is that true? Is "states' rights" a racist code word?
xamin   Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:59 am GMT
It's true that many politicians do employ subliminal techniques in their speeches.
Robin Michael   Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:04 am GMT
The whole point of using code words is that everyone understands them but they do not cause offence in the same way as the original word. So to continue the discussion on the 'N' word, when I was returning from Ireland I met an Irish politician on the plane. He was talking about British people living in Ireland and he complained about 'Nigerians'. I knew and he knew, that 'Nigerian' was a code word for 'Niggers'. Also, it reflected the fact that a lot of the people he was referring to were in fact - Nigerians. However I am sure that he was using it to refer to all black people.

The use of these words changes depending on the political climate and the speakers political affiliations. So much so, that you can tell what political affiliations someone has by the code words they use. There is nothing subliminal about it. The only subliminal thing, is that by clever word choice you can change the perception of what it is you are talking about. A classic example is 'co-lateral damage'. This word/expression refers to unintentional civilian casualties or distruction. This would cause outrage if it was described as mass murder, but when it is described as 'co-lateral damage', people are less sure what it is you are talking about. Another example is 'extra ordinary rendition'.
Robin Michael   Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:25 pm GMT
It was a ringing declaration of his support for "states' rights" — a code word for resistance to black advances clearly understood by white Southern voters.


http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,399921,00.html


In this article the expression GOP is used without explanation. I have found out what it means: "Grand Old Party"

It is a reference to the Republican Party. So, language is full of secret codes, meanings, connotations, etc.
jesus   Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:33 pm GMT
'GOP' is not a secret code, it's an abbreviation.
Lazar   Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:32 pm GMT
As Jesus points out, "GOP" isn't a secret - it's a widely understood shorthand way of referring to the Republican Party, like referring to Britain's Liberal Democrats as the "Lib Dems".
secret squirrel   Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:43 pm GMT
Really, Robin Michael; it's time to let us know your medical diagnosis.
Skippy   Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:31 pm GMT
"States' rights" is NOT a code word for segregation. When George Wallace, Strom Thurmond, etc. used the term "states' rights," segregation was certainly included in issues they considered under the umbrella of "states' rights."
K. T.   Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:36 pm GMT
Oh brother! GOP=not a code word. States rights=not a code word
Uriel   Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:01 pm GMT
They're not so much code words as they are just loaded terms, which means that they come with a whole bunch of subtextual baggage and associations that people apply to them when they hear them. And that baggage varies depending on the particular audience. There are lots of other terms that do this -- good ol' boy, redneck, things like that.
Skippy   Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:52 pm GMT
Check out the book "Moral Politics" by George Lakoff, he's a cognitive linguist and it's a pretty interesting read. He addresses code terms a bit.
MrPedantic   Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:04 am GMT
<<I knew and he knew, that 'Nigerian' was a code word for 'Ns'. Also, it reflected the fact that a lot of the people he was referring to were in fact - Nigerians. However I am sure that he was using it to refer to all black people. >>

No doubt airborne MPs are fair game; but there does seem to be something of a transition here from rather startling clairvoyance to vague conjecture.

I'm also not entirely convinced that "Nigerian" is some kind of vicious racial slur; especially when applied to people who are in fact - Nigerians...

MrP
Molybdenum   Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:59 pm GMT
Didn't Sarah Palin say something racist about Barack Obama during the presidential contest?
Molybdenum   Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:22 pm GMT
I read it somewhere on CNN. I can't remember what the remark was.
Skippy   Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:15 pm GMT
Nope