Political Bias In The Dictionary

[Nie Trink Wasser]

this is classic....:)



" For an interesting lesson in politics, read a dictionary, said Sidney Goldberg in The Wall Street Journal. In the supposedly neutral world of Webster's and Merrian-Websters's, Hitler and Mussolini are described as "dictators", but Pol Pot, Mao Tse-Tung, and Lenin - good communists all - are called "leaders".

Why? Because the dictionaries are written by academics in thrall to the cultural left. And the cultural left still prefers to portray all communist and socialist dictatorships as well-meaning, even when they exterminate millions of people. The American Heritage, for example, has no qualms about referring to Fulgencio Batista as a "Cuban dictator". But Casto ? He's a "Cuban revolutionary leader" who established "a socialist state". The same dictionary describes fascism as a system of government marked by "suppression of opposition though terror and censorship". Communism, on the other hand, aspires "toward a higher social order in which all goods are shared equally". No mention of terror or censorship.

And listen to this definition of the political "right", from Webster's II New College Dictionary: It's a political philosophy "whose policies are conservative and reactionary."

The left? They're people who advocate "the equality, freedom, and well being of the citizens". How well-meaning leftists are !

And how obvious in their prejudices"

[Aoidoi]

From www.m-w.com

Main Entry: Le·nin
Pronunciation: 'le-n&n
Function: biographical name
1870-1924 originally Vladimir Ilyich Ul.ya.nov \ül-'yä-n&f, -"nof, -"nov\ Russian communist leader; founder of the Russian communist party (Bolsheviks); guiding light of the Bolshevik Revolution (1917); first head of new U.S.S.R. (1917-24)

Well, that seems relatively positive, I suppose. "guiding light" seems a bit odd given the later ones.

Main Entry: Mao Tse-tung
Pronunciation: 'mau-(')(d)z&-'du[ng], -(')ts&-
Function: biographical name
1893-1976 pinyin Mao Ze-dong Chinese communist; leader of People's Republic of China (1949-76); instituted Rectification Campaign, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution to attempt to implement his policies

Also positive, not mentioning the dismal failure of those policies. Uses "leader."

Main Entry: Pol Pot
Pronunciation: 'päl-'pät
Function: biographical name
1925-1998 originally Saloth Sar Cambodian leader

Neutral, but does use the word "leader."

Main Entry: Hit·ler
Pronunciation: 'hit-l&r
Function: biographical name
Adolf 1889-1945 German chancellor & führer; with associates Göring, Goebbels, Himmler, Streicher, etc., conducted regime of terror based on belief in superiority of Aryan race, infallibility of Führer, and inferiority of all others, especially Jews; brought on WWII

Negative (but who wouldn't be?), doesn't mention dictator, but "regime of terror" seems pretty straight forward.

Main Entry: Mus·so·li·ni
Pronunciation: "mü-s&-'lE-nE, "mu-
Function: biographical name
Be.ni.to \b&-'nE-(")tO\ 1883-1945 Il Du.ce \El-'dü-(")chA\ Italian Fascist premier (1922-43); conquered and annexed Ethiopia and Albania; entered WWII as ally of Germany; eventually defeated, deposed, shot

Pretty neutral, all things considered. "premier" not dictator

Main Entry: 2left
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
1 a : the left hand b : the location or direction of the left side c : the part on the left side
2 a : LEFT FIELD b : a blow struck with the left fist
3 often capitalized a : the part of a legislative chamber located to the left of the presiding officer b : the members of a continental European legislative body occupying the left as a result of holding more radical political views than other members
4 capitalized a : those professing views usually characterized by desire to reform or overthrow the established order especially in politics and usually advocating change in the name of the greater freedom or well-being of the common man b : a radical as distinguished from a conservative position

Main Entry: 2right
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English riht, from riht, adjective
Date: before 12th century
...
7 often capitalized a : the part of a legislative chamber located to the right of the presiding officer b : the members of a continental European legislative body occupying the right as a result of holding more conservative political views than other members
8 a often capitalized : individuals sometimes professing opposition to change in the established order and favoring traditional attitudes and practices and sometimes advocating the forced establishment of an authoritarian order (as in government) b often capitalized : a conservative position

I dunno, others can discuss these two definitions but they don't seem terribly slanted to me.

Overall, probably just being overly sensitive and seeing more than is really there. (oh, and I suppose you might want to use the unabridged version for more detail, this is just a quick C&P job off the abridged version of the website.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by Aoidoi
Left: usually advocating change in the name of the greater freedom or well-being of the common man

Right: sometimes advocating the forced establishment of an authoritarian order (as in government)

Yeah, the Right's probably being over-sensitive. :eek:

MattJ

Aoidoi, I find this very interesting. Pol Pot murdered 1/7 of the population of Cambodia (Kampuchea). And Mao, who knows? But certainly far, far more than Hitler even dreamed of. Even calling Mao's programs "dismal failures" as you did, is being way too kind. They were programs of mass murder.

You don't find it strange that under "Hitler" there is "regime of terror," but not under any Communist mass murderers? That is very strange.

And Lenin the "guiding light?" HOLY ****** What does your dictionary say about Stalin? "Saviour?" "Our Father Who Art In Heaven?"

Anxiously awaiting response.....

[Aoidoi]

Main Entry: Sta·lin
Pronunciation: 'stä-l&n, 'sta-, -"lEn
Function: biographical name
Joseph 1879-1953 Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhu.gash.vi.li \"jü-g&sh-'vE-lE\ Soviet leader; virtual dictator of U.S.S.R. after death of Lenin; reformed, improved, expanded Soviet society, industry, territory with singleminded ruthlessness, building up Soviet Union as rival to U.S. for world leadership

Hehe, you know the more I read the more it seems like perhaps there is something to this. This description of Stalin is almost laughable. "(E)xpanded Soviet society" ... except for those pogroms that killed millions, the forced relocation of entire ethnic groups, etc. "(S)ingleminded ruthlessness" is I suppose a more polite way of saying "paranoid sociopath."

Maybe they're just negative on fascists? Hmmm...

Main Entry: Rea·gan
Pronunciation: 'rA-g&n
Function: biographical name
Ronald Wilson 1911- American actor & politician; 40th president of the U.S. (1981-89); achieved a significantly lower rate of inflation; lowered personal income taxes; greatly increased defense spending while reducing expenditures on social programs

Main Entry: Ei·sen·how·er
Pronunciation: 'I-z&n-"hau(-&)r
Function: biographical name
Dwight David 1890-1969 American general; planned and commanded liberation of Europe (1944-45); 34th president of the U.S. (1953-61); administration noted for truce ending Korean War (1953), sending troops to Little Rock, Ark., to support integration (1957), etc.

Main Entry: Tru·man
Pronunciation: 'trü-m&n
Function: biographical name
Harry S. 1884-1972 33d president of the U.S. (1945-53); established "containment" policy against Soviet Union, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO, Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. into Korean War

Main Entry: Clinton
Function: biographical name
William Jefferson 1946- American politician; 42d president of the U.S. (1993-2001)

Main Entry: Bush
Pronunciation: 'bush
Function: biographical name
George Herbert Walker 1924- American politician; 41st president of the U.S. (1989-93); liberated Kuwait from Iraqi conquest (1991)

Generally positive on US presidents. Perhaps it's simply that Hitler can hardly be mentioned without making clear you think he's evil while everyone else get's whitewashed? Though it seems to me they're using a lot of whitewash on somebody like Stalin.

. Even calling Mao's programs "dismal failures" as you did, is being way too kind. They were programs of mass murder. From what I know about it, the Great Leap Forward was a miserable failure as an attempt at socialism which killed millions. But I haven't really heard anyone argue it's failures were intentional. I mean, it's pretty clear Stalin intended to wipe out huge numbers of people with his programs, but I'm not so sure Mao wasn't just deluded and thinking his policies would work. That could just be due to unfamiliarity, though.

[Jedi Knight]

Originally posted by Nie Trink Wasser
this is classic....:)



" For an interesting lesson in politics, read a dictionary, said Sidney Goldberg in The Wall Street Journal. In the supposedly neutral world of Webster's and Merrian-Websters's, Hitler and Mussolini are described as "dictators", but Pol Pot, Mao Tse-Tung, and Lenin - good communists all - are called "leaders".

Why? Because the dictionaries are written by academics in thrall to the cultural left. And the cultural left still prefers to portray all communist and socialist dictatorships as well-meaning, even when they exterminate millions of people. The American Heritage, for example, has no qualms about referring to Fulgencio Batista as a "Cuban dictator". But Casto ? He's a "Cuban revolutionary leader" who established "a socialist state". The same dictionary describes fascism as a system of government marked by "suppression of opposition though terror and censorship". Communism, on the other hand, aspires "toward a higher social order in which all goods are shared equally". No mention of terror or censorship.

And listen to this definition of the political "right", from Webster's II New College Dictionary: It's a political philosophy "whose policies are conservative and reactionary."

The left? They're people who advocate "the equality, freedom, and well being of the citizens". How well-meaning leftists are !

And how obvious in their prejudices"

Jesus H. Christ this is a great observation and a brilliant post.

You know, I have a theory on why the radical left does this. It has to do with loyalty. Many of those dictionary terms were adjusted during the Cold War, a period where no one really knew what way it was going to go. Could the US and Europe collectively destroy the threat of Communism? Would Moscow and its eastern block satellite states take over the world?

What happened then was that those left-wing intellectuals sort of made a public stand on what side they were on. Notice how Nazism (I agree it is evil) is handled with the utmost despotism in academia, while Communism (much worse than Nazism) is held up as misguided enlightenment.

Notice too how new Communists call themselves "feminists", "progressives", "5th column", etc. They know communism got a bad name and they won't let it die. Communism should be completely thrown into the garbage can of bad ideas but these same folks keep propping it up.

Imagine the reaction by these folks if someone were to keep propping up Nazism?

Anyway, great observation on the communist dictionary allegiance. Those dictionary quotes as well as other works in academia are nothing more than silent allegiance to the Cold War Soviet block--and you know they would have sought out a slot in the proletariat if the Russians did win.

Jedi Knight

[Deep Breakfast]

Wow, I'm a lefty but I think that is very biased. Given Hitler's definition, I think Pol Pot's is a bit sparse. Its almost the equivalent of ignoreing the atrocities he commited.

I checked the dictionary in my house and it is very objective, so it is not all dictionaries.

[Smalso]

Looks like a good example of what science calls the fallacy of proof by enumerating favorable instances. A quick run-through of some of the guys mentioned above--and others-- at www.infoplease.com and I found some quite unflattering characterizations of them. I guess if I checked many reference sources, I could find some biased either way.

[DavidJames]

"Left: usually advocating change in the name of the greater freedom or well-being of the common man

Right: sometimes advocating the forced establishment of an authoritarian order (as in government) "


Right: overthrow the established order especially in politics
Right : favoring traditional attitudes

Yes it really is amazing when you pull stuff out of context how reality can be distorted :rolleyes:

[Nie Trink Wasser]

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