Politics and the English Language
In Politics and the English Language, George Orwell argues that careless writing, political jargon and ready-made phrases weaken thought, clarity and democratic honesty.
The Scraps Index
LANGUAGE
9 articles
The Real Meaning of ‘from the River to the Sea’
Explore the complex history and aspirations behind 'From the River to the Sea,' a symbol of Palestinian desire for freedom and equality
Metaphors We Live By
Metaphor is for most people a device of the poetic imagination and the rhetorical flourish—a matter of extraordinary rather than ordinary language. Moreover, metaphor…
Susan Sontag: Illness as Metaphor
Two essays by Susan Sontag are devoted to an analysis of myths surrounding paradigmatic diseases of modern times and metaphors that turn physical illnesses…
Slavoj Žižek: Political Correctness Is a More Dangerous Form of Totalitarianism
The famed philosopher and social critic Slavoj Žižek describes political correctness as a tacit form of totalitarianism, an act of coercion built upon the…
Rewriting the Dictionary of Human Stupidity
I never let my schooling interfere with my education. ― Mark Twain A Abortion “New Rule: If you can force a woman to look…
On the Stupidity of Being Offended
A compilation for the rejection of the culture of offense. Featuring Christopher Hitchens, Stephen Fry, Penn Jillette, Louis C.K. and Jim Norton, Richard Dawkins,…
Political Language: The Use and Abuse of Rhetoric | by Umberto Eco
It is moralistic to assert that political discourse must be freed of rhetorical techniques in order to relate to the truth. Running a city…
The “Other” L-Word | by Christopher Hitchens
Since, like, the 60s, and definitely since Clueless, one word has been, like, everywhere. Christopher Hitchens examines the, like, unstoppable onslaught of “like”