The Liberal Dictionary

It's easy to spot examples of liberal speak in our daily papers. From time to time, I’ll post the most flagrant examples here and offer a translation.

Last week’s Op-Ed piece by Barack Obama in the Chicago Tribune, “Why I Voted Against CAFTA” affords my first opportunity to translate liberal speak via . . . The Liberal Dictionary.

Senator Obama - “We must decide whether we will sit idly by and do nothing while American workers continue to lose out in this new world, or if we will act to build a community where, at the very least, everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead and reach their dreams.”

Translation/Analysis
Without big government you will no longer be able to work hard to reach your dreams.

Senator Obama - “The imbalance in this administration's policies, as reflected in the CAFTA debate, fails to provide American workers with their shot at opportunity. It's time we gave them that shot.”

Translation/Analysis
Blame Republicans and convince Americans that the administration is taking away their “shot at opportunity”. Remember, opportunity is not created by individuals– it’s legislated.

Senator Obama - "If we are to promote free and fair trade--and we should--then we must make a national commitment to prepare every child in America with the education they need to compete in the new economy; to provide retraining and wage insurance so even if you lose your job you can train for another; to make sure worker retraining helps people without getting them caught in bureaucracy; that it helps service workers as well as manufacturing workers and encourages people to re-enter the workforce as soon as possible."

Translation/Analysis
Use long, disjointed sentences to convince the reader that personal will and drive are no longer valid in this country. Only government can save Americans from themselves and “encourage” them to take action.