Generic Phrases

Do certain words or phrases mean that someone is brainwashed in their beliefs?

Reading posts I see a lot of Q&A's that include the following: Cannon-Fodder, Illegal and Immoral, and NeoCons. These are words and phrases you don't really see in arguments from those who are considered more intellectual who are against the war. Usually these phrases are uttered by individuals who either can't spell or use grammar correctly, or their facts, or even their entire string of logic is wrong. These words and phrases are key, or "punch" words and phrases. Used in speeches that are designed to be sensational and full of fluff instead of fact. They are seldom used in actual intellectual realms. Does this mean that people are developing their ideology off one-liners? Are they markers to show they cannot think on their own?

Public Comments

1. YES THE KEY WORDS ARE I AM A REPUBLICAN
2. You are very much right.....some words & phrases are being monopolized & sterotyped by the politicians.
3. Brian-----you are right-------this is some hog wash that is being troweled out to young people who are impressionable and to foreigners who know nothing about us other than what they see in movies and television------so my answer is yes----------they ARE being controlled by puppet masters------and they don't even have a clue.
4. The real term for someone "brainwashed" in their beliefs is technically known as internalization.
5. Anyone spewing the "party line" has to be a suspect. I've been in the policy room when they are creating these lines, and it's quite funny/scary to see how effective they are.... as long as the person remembers the party line they will be fine.. any question can be answered satisfactorily. To really see politicians do it, get a transcript of an interview as opposed to watching it. Highlight every time they repeat a key sentence and then pay attention to how often that key sentence comes up in casual conversation throughout the week.... it's alarming.
6. Anyone looking for intellectual, fact-filled arguments would be foolish to think he could find it at answers.yahoo.com. On the rare occasion that a question is worth answering, there is hardly room for an exhaustive justification of the answerer's position. In fact, when I do find an overly lengthy answer here, I usually skip it. This forum is best suited for short, concise answers, and one method of compressing an opinion into few words is the use of euphemism (and dysphemism). One carefully chosen word will tell everyone exactly where you stand. For example, your use of the word "fluff" concisely expresses your opinion of sensational answers. No doubt there is a lot of rhetoric, hype, and one-liners in this forum. But the use of rhetoric and hype in no way suggests that the user is not "thinking on his own" or that he is "brainwashed." Sometimes it's just the easiest (or even the best) way to get your point across. While I grant that the use of euphemism, emotion-laden, and value-laden language is common here, I do not think the examples you have given -- "illegal," "immoral," or "neocons" -- are good examples of such. (I cannot speak to "cannon fodder" because I have not noticed it in any Q&A's I've read.) "Illegal" is a word you are likely to find in any number of objective scholarly or intellectual works dealing with politics or government. "Immoral" definitely conveys an opinion, but the word itself is not emotive without a contextual explanation. Neocons call themselves "neocons," so I do not see how the word is in any way defamatory or indicative of lack of thought. On the other hand, a word like "brainwashed"... well, you get the idea.
7. When you can never get a straight answer out of them and they give circular reasoning, yes the brain is atrophied. It sounds good with no substance.
8. The anti-war movement is NOT based upon intellectual thought proccess in the first place. Second, those easily duped into that movement are not from the educated masses of this nation, as seen by their rhetoric. As for sensational and fluff, that is all the major news outlets allow and so these people have nothing else to learn from.
9. Both parties have decided to place party over country. As long as this is the case, the only thing you're going to hear in the echo chamber is rhetoric. Whether it be "culture of corruption", "stay the course", "cut and run", "tax and spend" or any other platitude.
10. Sure does seem like it!
11. There are plenty of idiot liberals who hate our great country and do not understand that a group of people that mutilates their women's genitals, dresses them in horrific trash bag... oops burkas, aren't good people. They want to hate our country and hate anyone who is worth a crap. They are sick and even make up words at times to cover for their own endless stupidities. Trust me, if they use a big word, they misuse it. Thank you for your service to our country. If I weren't disabled, then I would be serving with you.
12. You mean like LIEberal or Libturd? By the way you can't critisize Israel or you will be censored. Apparently Free Speech may include our governments actions but not Israeli autrocities.
13. What are you talking about? Why do you hate freedom? You must be a liberal elite.