Semantics and Anti-semantics… It’s ALL Bullshit!
Charles R. Dickens

I want to begin with a story to illustrate my subtitle. Be patient, you know, I’ll get to the point, eventually…

Are we running out of Time?

Several years ago, I managed a major communications ‘forklift’ improvement project for our power company. I worked with a team of engineers to coordinate their activities and communicate the processes and progress to the stakeholders. Forklift improvements involve the complete dismantling, removal, and replacement of the existing system without interrupting services. This process is typically done in stages, carefully planned, and impeccably executed to minimize business disruption. It requires incredible cooperation, a dedicated team effort, and careful coordination with the business. Piece of cake… 

During one of the early team meetings, I discussed defining some of the technical terms we would use to report our status to the business leadership. There were a few words commonly used in technology that had a different meaning in business. It came down to semantics, i.e., the meaning of and how the particular business discipline leaders understand these words.

It was a simple discussion except for one engineer, who insisted that we were wasting time and that the business executives didn’t really care anyway. In his view, we were arguing about the meaning of words. I agreed and reminded him that perception is reality, especially in business communications, and that information offered to the corporate executives must be clear and concise. Then I quipped that we must be careful not to be anti-semantic, meaning that how we use words is essential, especially when they can be misinterpreted or when semantic differences depend on the business sector’s understanding.

Two days later, I was called into HR for making antisemitic comments to the team. I worked diligently to explain the differences between the two similar-sounding words to the HR rep with little success. I was cautioned about my language and expressing political views. I politely suggested that this HR representative review the dictionary for a better understanding of the nuances of Semantics and Semitic.

Mark Twain warned us… “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”

I was an alien in the wilderness of indoctrinated Ignorati. After all, she had a master’s degree in human resources from ASU. To clarify, ASU has fabulous curricula in a variety of colleges; disciplines like math and science, others are leftist indoctrination camps, like most academies of higher learning, especially in the Social Sciences Departments.

There are a few key elements to successful communication: one is a common language, where you agree on the meaning of words, and another is knowing your audience. You don’t use computer lingo when speaking with your doctor. I wish doctors understood this principle. It’s folly to believe that everyone you meet understands you, how you think, and vice versa. How often do we forget this… An accurate indicator is the ‘deer in the headlights’ look.

Fast forward to our present situation, where we find ourselves dissecting and decoding partisan rhetoric and discourse, wondering what in the world that politician just said, and what they really meant. It leaves me wondering where this republic would be if the people we hire to manage this country invested their energy in serving us, rather than themselves. If they work as hard doing their jobs as they do keeping them, America would be the place promised, rather than the dystopia we observe. We would be in a peaceful and productive utopia, not embroiled in the partisan political disputes we endure today. The factions fight ferociously for partisan political progress and to position themselves over each other to secure status and prestige for the next election.

I’ll start like I always do by defining the words that are critical to the article. This is, by the way, where semantics come into play.

Denotation = the literal, dictionary definition of the word – both begin with the letter d.

Connotation = the implied or emotional or cultural association or suggested meaning the word evokes; think propaganda.

I often wonder about the phrases public service and public servant.

Public Service is defined as services provided by the government for the benefit of the public, such as police and fire protection, libraries, schools, and parks.

A public servant works in one of the above positions to provide those services.

Public Servants are:

 – Generally elected, and sometimes appointed

 – Serve the public interest

 – Deliver essential services

 – Are trusted to uphold public confidence and are accountable to the citizens

 – Encompass a wide range of diverse roles

Politicians are:

 – A person professionally involved in politics, which is,

* Activities associated with governance of a country, county, city, or other area

* One who engages in debate or conflict among individuals or parties, hoping to achieve power or control

 – Elected by the public to participate in the policy-making process

 – Making a decision that influences the formulation of public policy

It seems appropriate to conclude that elected officials are therefore public servants, and any action not in the public interest violates the denoted and connoted responsibility to the people who elected them, and since they take an oath of office to serve and protect these people, all self-serving actions are a direct violation of their affirmation of office.

Where are the consequences for this violation?

I’ve been a casual observer of the media all my life, and since the turn of the century, I’ve become a student of mainstream media, and throughout this time, I’ve noticed a marked change in their interpretations and usage of a fundamental precept called veracity – the habitual observance of truth in speech or statements, truthfulness. The opposite of veracity is deceit.

There is a word, shoehorned between truth and lies. It was invented in the 1600s and was popularized by Ben Franklin in Poor Richard’s Almanac. It’s called the half-truth. Franklin wrote: “… half the truth is often a great lie…” and for you Bible aficionados, more than 20 verses deal with half-truths in both the Old and New Testaments. Allow me to save you some time: these Biblical warnings are that a half-truth is not truth; it is still a lie.

* Investigating this further is a marvelous opportunity to use AI as a research and summary tool, but be aware, AI makes misteaks. (This is an intentional misspelling – did you catch it?)

It’s lucky for us that our language allows these fluid and convenient complications to fit our needs better. If you don’t like the implication, change the semantic usage of the word instead of finding the correct word. But isn’t the intent to misdirect your understanding by exploiting the complex connotation of the words, not the denotations?

It appears that Franklin recognized this problem over 290 years ago, and that the authors of the Bible saw the same messages a few thousand years earlier. Regardless of what we call it; dishonesty has been with us from the very beginning. It’s our choice to accept it, challenge it, or reject it altogether.

So, after a somewhat circuitous trip, we’ve finally arrived at the point of this column.

Bullshit!

Truth in Advertising…

AI tells me that: Truth In Advertising – TINA.org is an independent, non-profit, advertising watchdog organization founded in the United States of America. The basis of TINA.org is an independent, non-profit advertising watchdog organization whose principle is that advertising must be honest, not misleading, and supported by evidence. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces this by requiring advertisers to substantiate their claims and avoid deceptive practices. Deceptive ads can also be ruled “unfair” if they cause substantial consumer injury that is not outweighed by any benefit.

Advertising is the practice of using paid communication to promote a product, service, idea, or cause, to influence the behavior of a target audience. This is achieved by purchasing time or space in various media, such as TV, radio, print, not-so-social media, and billboards, to deliver persuasive messages designed to increase sales, build brand awareness, provide information, or encourage specific action.

I want you to think of the mainstream media, corporate media complex, and every news organization as advertisers, as I do. They tell us how to interpret daily events, which they believe are instrumental in shaping the country and our lives. They tell us that these events are crucial to the operation of the republic and our lives. Many of these events represent existential threats to our way of life in America, according to them. They tell us how it will impact every facet of our existence. They tell us what to like, who to like, and how we should react to every incident and activity they cover or highlight.

How is this not advertising?

If you missed this connection, or if you’re confused about my premise, please reread the paragraph that defines advertising.

I contend that the news media, as they exist today, are nothing more than advertisers! They are selling a product called interpreted information, and by analyzing events in their own way, they create an expectation of truth regardless of the facts as they exist. They frequently misrepresent them or invent them to fit their narrative, and their sole goal is to sell these partisan political products. They often lie to sell the agenda or party in a favorable light, intentionally deceiving the public.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces laws that prohibit deceptive and unfair advertising. This statement alone makes the mainstream media advertisers, but there’s more.

There are also State laws and statutes that cover practices such as lying about a product. The FTC works to prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices that harm consumers. This includes acting against scams and false advertising through investigations and law enforcement.

I consider the Mainstream Media’s actions blatant violations of the federal and state truth-in-advertising laws and statutes. Remember, there are no half-truths. It is either fact or fiction, true or false; it’s one or the other. I admit that this is absolutism, but I believe it’s time to stop waffling and fence-sitting and demand accountability for their actions.

Reparation for their damage is unquantifiable and would represent more damage than the good it could possibly do, but a good-ole public pillory of the guilty would go a long way to squelching this practice. And… just for shits and giggles, we could include several of the worst of Congress, the opposite of progress, in the exhibition. Who knows, it might straighten up that jumble of jerks…

As usual, I’ve taken the long way around to arrive at my point. I do so enjoy a ride in the country…

What you think you know, and what you believe is bullshit, unless you’re in the rare company of folks who see through the clutter and chaos and lies and deceit to recognize that we are captive servants in the land of hypocrisy. Even then, we are distracted and deluded by the next cool flashy thingy dangling before our eyes. It’s advertising folks… It’s why they do what they do.

…and WE Monkey’s are still on Trial!

How is it possible for a public servant to afford an extravagant lifestyle and a couple of multimillion-dollar homes on a US Congressperson’s salary of $174,000 a year? The median net worth of the average member of Congress, the opposite of progress, is $1.28 million. Most enter public service owing tons of money to a list of owners (contributors) who purchase loyalty and favors with donations – campaign investments. They buy the politician expecting some marvelous returns, just like the anti-fungal toothpaste and remarginalizing hair tonic pushed during the campaign ads.

Sure, the candidate plans to end world hunger and ingrown toenails. They have a solid agenda that will make everything free and put more pot in every chicken. This last one is a spin on an early twentieth-century promise of a chicken in every pot during the great depression.

Please pay particular attention to the following statement…

For the government to give you anything, it must first take it from someone else.

Please memorize that statement, because it’s the premise supporting everything we currently enjoy today, and is the foundation of every partisan political party promise ever made. The US government does not make anything! It takes it from everyone and spreads it around based on need. You call it taxes… It is actually the basis of Marxism.

Isn’t this an appropriate definition for the US Tax Systems? If you earn it, or make it, or have it, we want to help you share it with the less fortunate. It’s not charity… It’s welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, WHIP, or some other acronym to disguise the redistribution of our earnings. And lest we forget, we need money to run the government. This is the rabbit hole that DOGE – Discovering Outrageous Government Excess – got lost in, and that eventually consumed them. Even his holiness Elon of Must recognized this inescapable maze.

DOGE’s future is uncertain. The partisan political party’s pugnacity rendered it pointless, since agreement on remedies requires cooperation, and the involvement of partisanly aligned judges stokes the partisan animosity. This forces nearly every decision to the Supreme Court’s adjudication – and their docket is full of presidential overreach allegations.

Please understand, I see the necessity of taxation to operate the government, but the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in the US Gubmint are unsustainable and an abomination to everything we espouse. It is the reason for our burgeoning national debt and the bone of contention between the two parties warring for control of this republic.

“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs…”

Add – waste, fraud, and abuse here…

How does this happen?

I have no issue with wealth when it’s earned through the productive efforts of those with the vision and ability to create. They should reap the rewards of their achievements. Non-contributors should be equally rewarded for their lack of effort. Yes, some require assistance, but not a living – that is bullshit! And anyone taking advantage of the assistance and support systems… see pillory above.

AI – The saying “nothing comes from nothing” is a philosophical principle attributed to ancient Greek philosophers like Parmenides and Lucretius, and its Latin form, “ex nihilo nihil fit.”

What happens when we all realize that the money you think you have in the bank evaporates? Do you know that your investments, savings, and checking accounts are just numbers? Yes, campers… Nothing backs these numbers; they are fiat currency, promissory notes. The government promises that they are worth the value that’s printed on the face of the note. What if the government decides to change the redemption values, or can’t redeem the note to fulfill its promise?

America faces $37.92 trillion in debt:

 – $2.6 billion per day increase

 – $111,103 per citizen

 – $326,124 per taxpayer

It’s recommended that a couple retiring this year have at least $2 million available. The number above represents over $650,000 or one-third of their retirement… and that demand is growing daily. Remember, the national debt grows by $2.6 billion per day.

How much do you have in your accounts? I’ll wager that you have nowhere near this amount available, but aren’t the amounts above just numbers? Do you have any idea what these numbers mean?

The average American has about $8,000 in savings, but remember that nothing backs that amount.

Seriously… Why sweat this if nothing is protecting our life’s earnings and investments?

It’s just a number.

Or are we screwed, blued, and tattooed?

Folks… THIS IS ALL BULLSHIT!

So the next time you tune in to the nightly network news on the mainstream media merchandising channel, or cyber-slide on to YouTube or your favorite internet inundation indoctrination and misinformation station, or read your choice of over a thousand news feed periodicals, remember that they all – yes, all survive on advertisers products and they are selling you their version of what’s happenin’ baby… their presentations contain their version of the events, or has been even slightly modified, so unless their portrayal is the absolute and unvarnished truth, it’s a product for sale, and should be scrutinized by those responsible for ensuring that we receive the absolute truth from these advertisers.

We’re being lied to, and no one is held accountable, but someone is damned sure responsible, and that’s the truth.

Aesop said, “After all is said and done, more is said than done.”

The dickens you say…

“I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, still look before they cross the road.” ~ Stephen Hawking

 

Charles R. Dickens Was Born in 1951, Is a Veteran of the Vietnam War, for Which He Volunteered, and the Great-Great Grandson of the Noted Author, Whose Name He Shares.

He Is a Fiercely Proud American, Who Still Believes This Is the Greatest Country on the Planet, With Which We’ve Lost Control and Certainly Our Direction. He Grew Up in Moderate Financial Surrounding; We’re Not Rich by Any Stretch, but Didn’t Go Hungry – His Incredibly Hard Working Father Saw to That. As Most From That Era, He Learned About Life From His Father, Whose Story Would Take Too Long to Tell, Other Than to Say That, He Is Also a Fiercely Proud American; A WWII and Korean War, Veteran Marine.

Charlie Was Educated in the Parochial System Which, Demanded That You Actually Learn Something, and Have Capability to Retain It Before You Advance. He Attended Several Universities in Pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree, and Chased the Goose Further to a Master’s, and Has Retained Some Very Definite Ideas About Education in This Country.

in Addition, Charlie Is a Retired Blues Guitar and Vocalist – a Musician. This Was His Therapy Career. Nothing Brings Him as Much Joy as Playing Music, and He Wishes That He Could Make a Living at It… but Alas… Life Goes on!

 

 

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