Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But…

Language has always fascinated me. The ability to use words and phrases to redefine a particular issue is the mark of power.

Let me give you an example. Back in the late 60’s and into the 1970’s, perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader was able to redefine how America defined one automobile. In his book “Unsafe at Any Speed,” Nader raised a question about the safety of the Chevrolet Corvair.

This compact car was a revolutionary design for Detroit standards. Complete with four wheel independent suspension and an air cooled six cylinder rear mounted engine, the Corvair was presented by Nader as an automobile that was prone to unsafe handling characteristics that could result in a driver and their passengers sustaining serious injury, or even death.

As a result of his book, what Mr. Nader was able to do, was redefine how much of America understood the Chevrolet Corvair. It was no longer a cute albeit eccentric automobile, but a killing machine. And if you don’t think that this redefinition of the car was deadly, you’re wrong. Even Chevrolet couldn’t withstand the onslaught of public perception.

Quickly, here’s another example of the power and influence of words in our lives. In many eating places around the country, when the waiter asks “what may I get you to drink?” you’ll probably hear patrons responding with either, “I’ll have a Coke (NYSE KO), or “I’ll have a Pepsi.” (NYSE PEP) Seldom do you hear them simply ask for a soda. We have redefined a soda to be either a Coke or Pepsi.

This practice continues today. If you pay attention to the goings on along the beltway in Washington D.C., (not healthy, by the way), you can see this phenomenon at play. Listen to members of congress: how many will admit to adding pork to the budget barrel known as earmarks? Not very many. Rather, they will defend the necessity of the add-on as a benefit.

Pay attention to the selection of words used by those who we give power. It is in their choice of words that an issue is defined. The latest redefinition is the change initiated by the Obama administration to change our perception about those poor victims of unconstitutional incarceration once known as enemy combatants. (By the way, the war on terror is over, replaced by an overseas contingency operation.)

This use of position to define substance is not limited to just words. Actions can also speak volumes. Take for example the March 24th news conference of President Obama. As noted by Marshall McLuhan in the book “the medium is the message”, what was largely overlooked, was the decision by the president to move to using a different type of teleprompter to present his message to you and me. If you look at how speeches were delivered up until Tuesday night, you’ll remember those two clear Teleprompters that surrounded the presenter.

Instead of the old way, Obama used a big screen TV located at the back of the room. The message: see how in control this president is, he doesn’t even need a teleprompter to present his message.
Perception is defined by the words and images received, and managing that perception is power.