More than any previous era, the Information Age has provided every Tom, Dick, and Harry with more opportunities to extend and reinforce their vocabulary. And yet, the meanings of ever more words and key concepts continue to bite the dust. This concerning phenomenon begs the question: what caused this and what will the consequences be?
I can guarantee you that the vast majority of people today who like to overeagerly label those who disagree with them as ‘fascists,’ briefly looked up the meaning of the word in the dictionary or on Google somewhere between 2016 and now. Another word with an increasingly flexible meaning is ‘racist’. In the past its meaning was quite clear: someone who is prejudiced against or antagonistic towards people based on their race or ethnic group. Nowadays in South Africa, the word is commonly used indiscriminately to attack critics of the African National Congress, or as a derogatory synonym for white people, especially those of the Afrikaans-speaking variety.
The controversy surrounding the meaning of certain words is not primarily due to laymen accidently getting the meaning of important words wrong simply out of ignorance. These strategically-political word games were pioneered, and are now tactfully utilised by some of our country’s foremost political analysts, journalists, academics, politicians, and celebrities.
Philip K Dick described this strategy when he observed that, “The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.”
This revelatory snippet of wisdom contains the insight that we require to better grasp a critical element of the phenomenon described above. Because controlling the meaning of words is very powerful, many in power – and their spin doctors – deliberately twist the meaning of certain words or concepts in a bid to strengthen or defend their positions. To effectively refute a strong, logical argument requires a lot of work, careful rationalisation, and deep thought. On the other hand, the easy and unfortunately effective way out is to simply attack and smear your opponent with buzzwords and weighty labels such as ‘racist’, ‘far-right’ or ‘extremist.’
When those who employ this devious tactic are confronted by the inevitable protestations of their opponent, they quickly reach for their arsenal of deliberately warped, Frankenstein’s-monster definitions, which are unfortunately often employed to devastating rhetorical effect.
To be called a racist in South Africa is a very serious accusation, tantamount to a criminal charge that can lead to jail time if you were to be found guilty – as Vicki Momberg found out. Nobody walks around calling people murderers and rapists left, right, and centre, do they? Therefore, if you become the victim of a false accusation of racism, you must treat it with the same moral indignation as if you were accused falsely of having committed a serious crime.
If any of these insidious labels are thrown in your direction like poisoned spears, stand strong, tall and defiantly behind your shield of self-respect and the truth. You know who and what you are. You need not sink to your knees, tear at your clothes, throw ash on your head and go stand in the middle of town, weeping sorrowfully like Mordechai of old.
Above all, never sink to the moral depths of playing the same cowardly, malicious political word games. Speak the truth loudly, boldly, and without prejudice. Twisting the meaning of words deliberately to fashion these into depraved weapons against your opponents is an affront to the virtues of honesty and integrity. Always keep 1 Peter 3:10 in mind, “For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”
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