- Jonathon Van Maren highlights how leftists use Orwellian tactics to manipulate language in debates on abortion, transgender issues and euthanasia, influencing public discourse and political outcomes.
- Van Maren criticizes the redefinition of terms like "misgendering," arguing that using biological pronouns is labeled disrespectful, even when accurate, and notes how phrases like "gender-affirming care" replace "sex-change surgery" to reshape narratives.
- In France, broadcaster CNews was fined for stating that abortion is a leading cause of death, illustrating efforts to suppress language that contradicts ideological narratives on abortion.
- Van Maren draws parallels to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, warning that controlling language can limit free thought and enforce ideological conclusions, as seen in the novel’s depiction of Newspeak and totalitarianism.
- Van Maren emphasizes that language manipulation is part of a broader trend affecting various contentious issues, cautioning against the dangers of allowing ideological agendas to dictate acceptable language and public discourse.
LifeSiteNews columnist writer Jonathon Van Maren recently discussed how leftists ramp up on using the Orwellian attacks on language within the debates surrounding abortion, transgender issues and euthanasia.
On the latest episode of "The Van Maren Show" on LifeSiteNews, Van Maren discussed how language manipulation can significantly influence political discourse. For instance, on the transgender movement, Van Maren criticized the redefinition and enforcement of terms such as "misgendering." He argued that using biological pronouns, even if factually accurate, is often vilified as disrespectful.
"If you referred accurately to "Caitlyn" Jenner as a male, which he is, you would be accused of 'misgendering' even though you correctly gendered Mr. Jenner. And so, it's really, really absurd to see the situation that we find ourselves in," he said.
Van Maren pointed to the shift in language surrounding procedures for those undergoing gender transitions. He also noted that terms like "gender-affirming care" have replaced "sex-change surgery" or "transitioning" and have subtly reshaped the narrative regarding gender transitioning.
"Why did they not want to call it 'transitioning' anymore? Because they recognize that even when they said the word 'transition,' there was sort of an implicit acknowledgment that you were ‘transitioning’ somebody from one thing to the other. So you're transitioning a male into a female or a female into a male. But, of course, the premise of gender ideology is that if somebody says that they are female, they were always female; they were never male. And so 'transition' is too much of a concession," he said.
Aside from the transgender movement, Van Maren also cited the controversial decision in France to explore the abortion debate. The Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) recently fined French broadcaster CNews 100,000 euros ($106,000) after journalist Aymeric Pourbaix stated that abortion is the leading cause of death worldwide. Arcom ruled that the channel had violated its obligation to present information with "honesty and rigor," claiming that abortion does not qualify as a cause of death.
"In other words, abortion, which ends the life of a developing human being in the womb, that's what abortion is for. You are not allowed to say that on French TV. They're trying to make it essentially illegal for saying that abortion is a cause of death, even though that is indisputably true. It's just truly ludicrous," Van Maren said. said.
Van Maren warns about extreme censorship due to language manipulation
That day, Van Maren compared the role of language manipulation to George Orwell's observations in his novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four."
"Nineteen Eighty-Four" is a dystopian novel written and published by English writer George Orwell in 1949. It is set in a fictional totalitarian superstate called Oceania. The novel presents a society controlled by the Party, led by the omnipresent figure Big Brother. The Party enforces absolute loyalty through surveillance, propaganda and a restrictive language called Newspeak, designed to eliminate dissent and free thought. Key concepts like doublethink and accepting contradictory beliefs, are reflected in slogans such as "War is peace," "Freedom is slavery" and "Ignorance is strength."
The novel criticizes the dangers of totalitarianism, propaganda and unaccountable governments while highlighting the fragility of truth, freedom and individuality under oppressive regimes.
"Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four as a warning after years of brooding on the twin menaces of Nazism and Stalinism. Its depiction of a state where daring to think differently is rewarded with torture, where people are monitored every second of the day, and where party propaganda trumps free speech and thought is a sobering reminder of the evils of unaccountable governments," Cathy Lowne wrote for Britannica.
Throughout the episode, Van Maren stressed that the control and redefinition of language are not isolated to one issue but are part of a broader trend. From reframing euthanasia debates to altering terminology in public discourse, he warned of the dangers of allowing ideological agendas to dictate acceptable language.
"George Orwell really understood that if you can actually limit the number of words people are permitted to use to discuss an issue, you can box people into an enforced conclusion," he said. Van Maren then warned the public about how language manipulation started to influence various contentious debates, even though we have not yet reached the extreme censorship depicted in 1984.
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