What is the link between language and politics?

Does politics affect the choice of language? As the cultural, economic, military, political and scientific importance of the United States of America and the United Kingdom for the last two centuries has grown has it given English pre-eminent status as a language of international communication?

Help! :?

[Red5]

I would have thought politics certainly has an affect on the choice of language. Just look at political correctness! :wink:

[italianbrother]

Originally Posted by Red5

Just look at political correctness! :wink:

Political correctness, in my opinion, is the most hypocritical way of being absolutely bigoted

Some time ago, as a replay to one of the articles published in this site, I wrote:

- A while ago, just before the gloomy days of war with Iraq were going to start, I remember reading an article, one of the many published in those days, overflowing with cheap rhetoric with the intention to persuade the population that what was going to happen was morally right. Almost a year now, and still the same rhetoric is uttered by those same harlots, flatterers and seducers. For Plato rhetoric was an unnecessary tool, whereas for Aristotle it was an available means of persuasion, and persuasion is the main cause for all its use today, as it was in the ancient days, but in those days the power of the omens were also greatly valued and if the chickens did not eat, then war would never start, mind you, today the only thing a chicken brings is a bit of flu, but rhetoric continues to be popular as ever. Why? Why do we need such a style?? What is in rhetoric that we are so fond of? And why is that if some one will tell us something with a straightforwardly approach we will just find it boring? But the more flowery a prose we will come across, and the more enthusiastic about we will become? Not only we need to be articulate and proficient in the use of the language, but to be booming today, we need to have wit and a particular mastery in moulding and chiselling the language as a Hellenistic sculptor shaped its Venus so that it would stand upright and beautiful. -

I do still think that the use of rhetoric, or it would be better to say the abuse or overuse of rhetoric, is the main feature of the political world. It has been in the past, it is today and it will be the same for the future.

[Red5]

Perhaps the population needs building up to such momentous occasions as elections. Rhetoric carries the reader along with it, persuading them, rather than giving the reader options; what better mechanism could there be for propaganda?

[Red5]

Originally Posted by krustybeudle

has it given English pre-eminent status as a language of international communication?

It has to have helped!