This reader makes a great point which I’ve thought about a bit and should have included:
Jonah,
Excellent post. But it’s application would logically have broader application that you
haven’t touched on…
“Punky cons” and “conservatives who like punk music…” “Punky cons” is the language of the left. “Conservatives who like punk music…” should be the grammar of the right. Because the logic of this leads you to distinctions such as: “African-Americans” and “Americans who are of African descent…” (or any other ethnicity or group identity.)
By allowing those “useful shorthands” to enter into the common language we then allow the left to help not only define the issues but also define the way the issue is thought about by the ideological middle. Sorta along the way the “pro-choice” slogan manipulates the opinion of the moderately informed… (“Choice? Who isn’t in favor of choice?”). Granted, this is a subtle form of propaganda, but I think it is quite powerful over the long-term. And it’s an art that the left has mastered.