Trump and the GOP use language instrumentally, to achieve goals, rather than to inform.
This isn't limited to the political realm - it is an important distinction, and learning this can also help you avoid harmful people in your personal life as well.
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This isn't limited to the political realm - it is an important distinction, and learning this can also help you avoid harmful people in your personal life as well.
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Most of us - as humans - talk when we need to say something, without thinking about it.
Language just happens; it's part of our natural development, and it pours out when we need to express something.
But what's the difference between informative and instrumental speech?
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Language just happens; it's part of our natural development, and it pours out when we need to express something.
But what's the difference between informative and instrumental speech?
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Think about this in terms of a relationship.
When we need to communicate something with a partner, our goal should be to describe what's on our mind in the best way that we can - in other words, to be open and honest. To share and inform, and expect it to be received in kind.
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When we need to communicate something with a partner, our goal should be to describe what's on our mind in the best way that we can - in other words, to be open and honest. To share and inform, and expect it to be received in kind.
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We often assume that nearly all communication works like this.
In some ways, we are wired to believe that what people tell us is being delivered in good faith - openly with good intentions.
We all know that liars exist, but we tend to think that we can spot those.
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In some ways, we are wired to believe that what people tell us is being delivered in good faith - openly with good intentions.
We all know that liars exist, but we tend to think that we can spot those.
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But, while most of us speak without thinking much about it, and use our words to inform (most of the time), we don't notice that language can be used as a different kind of tool: language as an instrument, used as a means to achieve an end.
This is what gets us in trouble.
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This is what gets us in trouble.
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Using language instrumentally like this is extremely common - and we've all done it.
We may say certain things (true things) to get someone to like us. We may outright ask people to do things to help us get what we want.
This is still honest, and perfectly normal.
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We may say certain things (true things) to get someone to like us. We may outright ask people to do things to help us get what we want.
This is still honest, and perfectly normal.
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But when a person decides - consciously or otherwise - that there are certain things that are more important to them than being open and honest, language can become a completely different animal.
It can be a tool - or even a weapon - to use in pursuit of what they want.
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It can be a tool - or even a weapon - to use in pursuit of what they want.
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Anyone who has ever known an addict is intimately familiar with this.
We can't understand why this person would lie to us and use us, for money or property, or for what we can do for them.
Their words no longer mean anything - just empty vessels, tools for what drives them.
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We can't understand why this person would lie to us and use us, for money or property, or for what we can do for them.
Their words no longer mean anything - just empty vessels, tools for what drives them.
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Intelligence agencies figured this out a long time ago - they know the "MICE" that can make people become dishonest:
Money
Ideology
Compromise
Ego
Drugs aren't listed here specifically, but that one is obvious enough that it probably doesn't need to be covered. ;-)
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Money
Ideology
Compromise
Ego
Drugs aren't listed here specifically, but that one is obvious enough that it probably doesn't need to be covered. ;-)
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Obviously, it's important for us to recognize when people we encounter in our lives are using their words as instruments to use us toward their ends.
This is where the concept of trust comes in. Trust - like respect - needs to be earned, for good reason.
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This is where the concept of trust comes in. Trust - like respect - needs to be earned, for good reason.
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As soon as we treat a person as trustworthy, we open ourselves up to being harmed by them, to various degrees.
It's helpful to think of this in terms of dating - vetting dating partners applies to politics and candidates more than any other analogy that I can imagine. :-)
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It's helpful to think of this in terms of dating - vetting dating partners applies to politics and candidates more than any other analogy that I can imagine. :-)
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The right way to approach dating:
*Have a list of red flags: things that would rule them out as a partner.
Not having your red flags top-of-mind going in, is like picking up twitter without a specific goal in mind: you run the risk of being sucked in for way too long. ;-)
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*Have a list of red flags: things that would rule them out as a partner.
Not having your red flags top-of-mind going in, is like picking up twitter without a specific goal in mind: you run the risk of being sucked in for way too long. ;-)
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*Trust but verify
We have to treat each other, to an extent, as people that can be trusted, just to be able to have a conversation.
But we don't share deeply personal things that someone could use to hurt us, until we deeply trust them.
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We have to treat each other, to an extent, as people that can be trusted, just to be able to have a conversation.
But we don't share deeply personal things that someone could use to hurt us, until we deeply trust them.
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Likewise, it's okay to trust a new person to meet us for dinner at 6:30. If they're lying, that will suck, but it's a small hurt.
But we wouldn't trust a new person to promise us that they will drive us to a surgery, or watch our kids. That's deep trust territory.
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But we wouldn't trust a new person to promise us that they will drive us to a surgery, or watch our kids. That's deep trust territory.
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So trust is a really big deal, because it can lead to us being hurt.
But there are some things that short-circuit the trust-earning process.
Two come to mind:
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But there are some things that short-circuit the trust-earning process.
Two come to mind:
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Short-circuit 1) Charisma.
Some people can overwhelm us with charisma and affection, to the point that it tricks our wiring into trusting them.
This is why narcissists "love bomb" people early in relationships; because it often works, if we aren't watching for it.
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Some people can overwhelm us with charisma and affection, to the point that it tricks our wiring into trusting them.
This is why narcissists "love bomb" people early in relationships; because it often works, if we aren't watching for it.
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In politics, populists and demagogues are love-bombers.
Our framers recognized this and, believe it or not, this is why they created the Electoral College - as a safeguard against demagogues.
SCOTUS just took a case on this btw, some background here:
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Our framers recognized this and, believe it or not, this is why they created the Electoral College - as a safeguard against demagogues.
SCOTUS just took a case on this btw, some background here:
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This is why it is *incredibly* important for us to vet and red-flag candidates thoroughly before we *ever* decide that we *like* them, or develop any sort of emotional attachment to them.
Because in some very real ways, we are about to trust them with our lives.
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Because in some very real ways, we are about to trust them with our lives.
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Short-circuit 2) Institutional trust.
Just like charism can personally short-circuit our trust-earning process, institutions can do this in a larger, less personal way.
Society is designed to teach us to trust institutions, and we rely on them now more than ever.
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Just like charism can personally short-circuit our trust-earning process, institutions can do this in a larger, less personal way.
Society is designed to teach us to trust institutions, and we rely on them now more than ever.
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How do we know whether to trust a food company? the FDA.
How do I know this router will work with my PC? Because standards organizations have enforced standards.
How do we know a politician is trustworthy? Well, that's an interesting question...
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How do I know this router will work with my PC? Because standards organizations have enforced standards.
How do we know a politician is trustworthy? Well, that's an interesting question...
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(As an aside, it is a *good* thing to have institutions that vet and build trust for us. That helps our society function.
It is terrible when one of them fails; but that usually is a sign that we need to fix & improve it, so that it doesn't happen again - not to destroy it.)
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It is terrible when one of them fails; but that usually is a sign that we need to fix & improve it, so that it doesn't happen again - not to destroy it.)
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So, as it turns out, politicians aren't vetted nearly as well as we would like, or thought that they were.
As it turns out, the framers expected *us* to do that for ourselves - with the help of a strong free press.
We have institutions that kind of do this, but not for *us*
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As it turns out, the framers expected *us* to do that for ourselves - with the help of a strong free press.
We have institutions that kind of do this, but not for *us*
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Political parties (like the DNC & RNC) vet their candidates, but they vet them for political liabilities.
What happens when one of those parties no longer considers hypocrisy and dishonesty to be political liabilities?
Well, we end up trusting people that we shouldn't have.
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What happens when one of those parties no longer considers hypocrisy and dishonesty to be political liabilities?
Well, we end up trusting people that we shouldn't have.
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So that brings us back to the topic of our current situation: why do we have this situation where lies are spreading like wildfire and corrupting our national discourse, to the point where it sometimes seem that the entire concept of "truth" is falling apart?
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Because we have a political party in power that has *serious* MICE problems.
Money
Ideology
Compromise
Ego
Just like an addict, they have decided to give up everything, in pursuit of something that they cannot speak of, or admit publicly.
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Money
Ideology
Compromise
Ego
Just like an addict, they have decided to give up everything, in pursuit of something that they cannot speak of, or admit publicly.
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What is it that they are pursuing so desperately?
Well, we are all working to figure that out - and our intelligence agencies have already figured out a *lot* more than we have, for sure.
I hinted at one aspect in this thread, but there are others:
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Well, we are all working to figure that out - and our intelligence agencies have already figured out a *lot* more than we have, for sure.
I hinted at one aspect in this thread, but there are others:
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But what's important to realize - for us, and especially for our press - is that, in this pursuit, they've discarded any adherence to the norms that we've come to expect.
In fact, they are actively using those norms instrumentally, just like language:
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In fact, they are actively using those norms instrumentally, just like language:
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We have historically relied on a process wherein the first layer of our press simply "reports" on the news of the day - relaying what officials have said. People/pundits can make what they will of it, and agree or disagree.
Trump and the GOP are cynically using this system.
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Trump and the GOP are cynically using this system.
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"Wait, you're telling me that the press is going to repeat everything I say, and the public automatically trusts me because I've been "vetted," and it will take days for anybody to realize that I lied, and millions of people will always believe me anyway?
This is too easy!"
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This is too easy!"
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This thread is crazy long so I will try to wrap it up.
So, what are some of the ways that trump and the GOP are using their language instrumentally, and manipulating the press to help them achieve their goals?
A couple of examples...
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So, what are some of the ways that trump and the GOP are using their language instrumentally, and manipulating the press to help them achieve their goals?
A couple of examples...
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First, Trump is a bit of a sadist (understatement), and sometimes he just plain enjoys lying to people and "getting one over" on them.
We can never discount this.
He once called a woman's husband on speaker, and got him to admit infidelity. Just to hurt their relationship.
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We can never discount this.
He once called a woman's husband on speaker, and got him to admit infidelity. Just to hurt their relationship.
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Sometimes he says things just to manipulate the stock market.
In the 80s, Trump became notorious for "greenmailing" - claiming he was buying stock, hinting of takeovers, and then either selling on the run-up or trying to extract lucrative concessions.
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salon.com/2019/10/22/don…
In the 80s, Trump became notorious for "greenmailing" - claiming he was buying stock, hinting of takeovers, and then either selling on the run-up or trying to extract lucrative concessions.
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salon.com/2019/10/22/don…
Sometimes trump and the GOP will accuse others of their own behavior, before it becomes discovered. This does two things:
1) Allows them to frame it first
2) It allows them to claim to their base that this is no big deal - just look, "both sides" do it.
Neutralizes critcism.
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1) Allows them to frame it first
2) It allows them to claim to their base that this is no big deal - just look, "both sides" do it.
Neutralizes critcism.
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Trump will use language to "trigger" outrage about certain topics, because they know it will create a media storm that will obscure real, underlying issues.
Remember when Elijah Cummings exposed the Saudi Nuclear Tech transfer?
No?
Most people don't.
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Remember when Elijah Cummings exposed the Saudi Nuclear Tech transfer?
No?
Most people don't.
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Trump admin officials know that government is complicated, and 90% of Americans don't understand it.
So they take a thread of truth, and release a highly misleading narrative.
This is very similar to the way Russia creates propaganda.
e.g. Unmasking
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So they take a thread of truth, and release a highly misleading narrative.
This is very similar to the way Russia creates propaganda.
e.g. Unmasking
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This is not a comprehensive list; it's a start.
If the press would recognize this, and use this info to help them be more critical in their reporting, our entire democracy would be much more capable of handling these crises.
Remember: there are addicts behind the podium.
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If the press would recognize this, and use this info to help them be more critical in their reporting, our entire democracy would be much more capable of handling these crises.
Remember: there are addicts behind the podium.
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