As a reader of political and legal rhetoric, I have noticed that often the writer of such documents will use “crutch” words, often adjectives and adverbs, in place of details and logical arguments. It becomes a battle of slogans rather than ideas.
As one example, let’s take the term “common sense.” When used as a modifier it is often hyphenated, as in “common-sense ideas.” We need not be told what these ideas actually are, it’s just “common sense.”
Some years ago there was a big push for “smart growth” What, other than the opposite of “dumb growth” does that mean?
How often do newspaper headlines and articles vouch for an argument by labelling its proponent as an “expert”?
All of these terms are used as a shortcut by a writer telling the reader, “Just trust me.”
Jay Bohn
March 23, 2023.