From the Wordsmith’s Armory
Words and Concepts to Live By, Fight With, Die For
(Second in an irregular series)
Equivocation
From the first Wordsmith’s Armory piece, Presentism
Their shield of arrogance and their sword of equivocation protect them from even a glimmer of enlightenment.
Like Presentism, equivocation is a weapon, first used to obfuscate and ultimately destroy the Truth. When used in tandem, as it is most often, the results are devastating to the uninformed and unaware. First, Presentism distorts times, conditions, values, and traditions from their original settings; then, equivocation is used to manipulate language, conceal the truth, or obscure the source (writer, speaker) from a definitive position. Invariably, this is a position the source opposes.
Slavery is a good example. With Racism still deployed as a convenient ad hominem, expect it to flourish over the next 4 months of political “debate”.
The Presentist ignores the historical facts of the time and culture when slavery was common throughout America. Also, the first slaves were brought here from Africa by black slave traders. Slavery was practiced in both the North and South, mostly by wealthy farmers, land owners, and businessmen. Contrary to public schooling, Slavery was not the cause of the misnamed “Civil War”. Despite the facts, the Presentist equivocates, first with unnecessary “arguments” that complement the Presentist’s alteration of time, law, and tradition and uses these new ‘facts” to attack history and historical figures. Thomas Jefferson was a notorious victim. As politically correct Wokeism spread, statues of “Civil War” military leaders were destroyed; Schools re-named, American History books re-written as if 1984’s Winston Smith came alive. These were just some of the results of successful Equivocation.
As the political season heats up, Presentism and Equivocation will be used in speeches and advertisements to deceive the poorly informed voter.
Don’t let friends fall victim to this effective manipulation.
Well said. Good stuff. Thanks for the enlightenment.
I just finished reading "The Demon of Unrest" by Erik Larson about the reasons for the American Civil War and the attack on Ft. Sumter in Charleston, SC, harbor. Larson is very biased towards Lincoln and the Yankees. Larson mentions slaves and slavery on almost every page, but skims over tariffs. The federal government received 2/3rds of its income from tariffs on the South.
Read Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address on March 8th, 1861. Lincoln states he had no problem with slavery, but he would invade the South to protect federal property and collect that tariff money.
The South felt that the Yankees and abolitionists wanted to destroy their society which was based upon slavery. African slaves were the only people who could handle the hot southern sun in the fields. Without slavery, the South's economy and society would collapse. At the same time, the Southerners were scared of slave rebellions. It's a lousy way to live.
As an outsider looking on at the conflict, I don't support either side. The South did have the right to secede. Slavery is evil. Tariffs are theft.
Follow the money.
Thanks for the article.