As
a PR guy and former journalist, I know words matter. That is why it bothers me to
see the language manipulated by those who should know better.
Such
is the case with the phrase “revenue increase.” You hear it everywhere in the media
these days. It’s a happy euphemism for what used to be called a tax increase.
A
tax increase sounds like something that hits your wallet. In contrast, a
revenue increase sounds like some benign financial transaction that happens
between accountants without impacting you. You might expect some congressional
staffers to shade the language like this, but not journalists, who are supposed
to be the referees … the seekers of truth.
It’s
fine if you believe tax increases will help the economy, but just call it what
it is.
If
grandpa refers to his adult diaper “a personal protection garment,” then nobody
gets hurt. But when you’re talking about public policy and our government
spending, then it’s important to be more authentic.
Come
to think of it, if George H.W. Bush had uttered the phrase “no new revenue
increases,” then maybe he would’ve won a second term.
2 comments:
AKA "spin"
Example: you get "free delivery", but if you cancel the delivery then you get a 2 dollar "discount" to pick it up yourself.
If a pilot freaks out on an airplane, it's called a "medical incident".
Thanks for the comment. My favorite airline spin is "water landing." Some people call that a crash.
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