Summary Of A Word About Words By Alinsky

egarding this week’s readings, Alinsky’s piece, ‘A Word About Words’, is perfect material for understanding Politically Correct English (PCE) culture and the implications it has on the very issues that its proponents wish to correct. Alinsky’s argument is that the meanings of words such as power, self-interest, ego, compromise, and conflict have been hijacked by a politically illiterate population thereby undermining the process of producing social change. He states, “Striving to avoid the force, vigor, and simplicity of word “power,” we soon become averse to thinking in vigorous, simple and honest terms. We strive to invent sterilized synonyms, cleansed of the opprobrium of the word power--but the new words mean something different, so that they tranquilize us, begin to shepherd our mental processes off the main, conflict ridden, grimy, and realistic power paved way of life” (51). Language and its usage is then an inherently political issue and an issue that I think the left is unfortunately losing the battle on--of which will be discussed in depth later on.
Alinsky had a deep understanding of this and it can be seen when he writes, “By using combinations of words such as “harnessing the energy” instead of the single word “power,” we begin to dilute the meaning; and as we use purifying synonyms, we dissolve the bitterness, the anguish, the hate and love, the agony and the triumph attached to these words, leaving an aseptic imitation of life” (50). In other words, language has an effect on the issues that we choose to fight for. To produce change, you need an issue that will excite people into action and one way to excite is bold rhetoric. (Bold rhetoric does not rely upon exaggerated claims, political euphemisms, or a blatant disregard for