Hyperduck Quack Quack Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) Tony Blair gave us 'Cool Britannia' and the 'Third Way', both of which had vague meanings at the time but in the end were just vacuous feel-good catchphrases. Now it seems that 'Big Society' is just another such thing, all it really means is: "We're going to destroy the fabric of society but you're welcome to pick up the pieces if you want". Possibly the worst meaningless political catch-phrase was 'caring, sharing nineties', which the left, and particularly feminists, trotted out at the end of the 1980's and beginning of the 1990's, in anticipation of the imminent downfall of post-Thatcher Toryism. The line was that people were fed up with greed and competitiveness and were looking to a more caring, sharing society. All that's happened since then is that caring, sharing people have become poorer, while greedy, competitive people have got richer! What other totally meaningless political catch phrases or buzz words - left, right or centre, can people think of ? Edited February 7, 2011 by Hyperduck Quack Quack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingHasToGive Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Ed Milliband's 'British Promise'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sillybear2 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Tony Blair gave us 'Cool Britannia' and the 'Third Way', both of which had vague meanings at the time but in the end were just vacuous feel-good catchphrases. He also gave us "eye-catching initiatives" that "I should be personally associated with as much of this as possible". I guess an unwinnable war and the biggest credit bubble and crash in history were pretty groundbreaking. It all becomes a bit vacuous at that level doesn't it? Brown spent decades plotting and stabbing people in the back to get the top job then didn't know what to do when he got there, apart from saving the world obviously. It's better to travel than to arrive, innit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miko Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (1) We are all in this together (2) Classless society (3) Back to basics ( 4) Family values ( 5) Hard working familys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy666 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Tony Blair gave us 'Cool Britannia' and the 'Third Way', both of which had vague meanings at the time but in the end were just vacuous feel-good catchphrases. Now it seems that 'Big Society' is just another such thing, all it really means is: "We're going to destroy the fabric of society but you're welcome to pick up the pieces if you want". Possibly the worst meaningless political catch-phrase was 'caring, sharing nineties', which the left, and particularly feminists, trotted out at the end of the 1980's and beginning of the 1990's, in anticipation of the imminent downfall of post-Thatcher Toryism. The line was that people were fed up with greed and competitiveness and were looking to a more caring, sharing society. All that's happened since then is that caring, sharing people have become poorer, while greedy, competitive people have got richer! What other totally meaningless political catch phrases or buzz words - left, right or centre, can people think of ? Harold Wilson had the 'White Heat of Technology', I believe.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spaniard Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) Wouldn't it be more efficient for us to try to think of meaningful political concepts? In a similar vein, I've never understood why they count the passengers on a nearly full aeroplane when counting the few empty seats and then subtracting that from the total number of seats would be so much easier. Edited February 7, 2011 by The Spaniard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sillybear2 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) Ed Milliband's 'British Promise'. So he's naming initiatives after rusty old oil tankers, I guess its a metaphor for the party :- Its sister ship was called "British Prudence". I think that sunk without a trace. The original Promise was hit by a U-Boat on her maiden voyage:- http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2457.html Hrm. Which brings us back to the best catch phrase of all time, "I believe it is peace for our time." -- Neville Chamberlain, 1938. Edited February 7, 2011 by sillybear2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
this_prisoner_is_opting_out Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 "Big Society" was second choice. GO's "Grow the Feck Up" was vetoed because it made the lentil-weavers cry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperduck Quack Quack Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) I've thought of another one, which I think originated in America during Ronald Reagan's presidency: Trickle-down theory - whereby if you let the rich get richer, then that wealth trickles down through the social order benefiting everyone. But we also have 'trickle-up' economics, where the rich get richer as the poor get poorer - as we're seeing now. Another one I don't like is chancellors talking about being prudent. Gordon Brown did that a lot, but so did his Tory predecessors - I seem to remember Nigel Lawson in particular, who was anything but prudent, financially! Edited February 7, 2011 by Hyperduck Quack Quack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miko Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I've thought of another one, which I think originated in America during Ronald Reagan's presidency: Trickle-down theory - whereby if you let the rich get richer, then that wealth trickles down through the social order benefiting everyone. But we also have 'trickle-up' economics, where the rich get richer as the poor get poorer - as we're seeing now. Another one I don't like is chancellors talking about being prudent. Gordon Brown did that a lot, but so did his Tory predecessors - I seem to remember Nigel Lawson in particular, who was anything but prudent, financially! John Major took that phrase and changed it slightly he said " cascading of wealth down the generations " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sillybear2 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) I've thought of another one, which I think originated in America during Ronald Reagan's presidency: Trickle-down theory - whereby if you let the rich get richer, then that wealth trickles down through the social order benefiting everyone. But we also have 'trickle-up' economics, where the rich get richer as the poor get poorer - as we're seeing now. Yes, Reaganomics, but that turned out to be one giant golden shower. The US has much better catch phrases. "I am not a crook" "Spieprzaj dziadu!" ("Piss off, old man!") Polish President Lech Kaczyński – said to a man on the street during the 2002 Warsaw mayoral campaign Turns out insulting old people isn't even new. Edited February 7, 2011 by sillybear2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britney's Piers Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 "Care" in the "community" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuggets Mahoney Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Glittering generalities (also called glowing generalities) are emotionally appealing words so closely associated with highly-valued concepts and beliefs that they carry conviction without supporting information or reason. Such highly-valued concepts attract general approval and acclaim. Their appeal is to emotions such as love of country and home, and desire for peace, freedom, glory, and honor. They ask for approval without examination of the reason. They are typically used by politicians and propagandists...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glittering_generality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sillybear2 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) So the "Big Society" is just the positive and vague mirror image of "Broken Britain", the latter only being useful in opposition, in propaganda terms nobody wants to be seen to be in charge of a knackered country, it might have the unfortunate virtue of being true. Didn't some guy once say something about "boom and bust"? Edited February 7, 2011 by sillybear2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuggets Mahoney Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) ...Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Hmmm, sounds familiar and not forgetting Roosevelt's New Deal not to be confused with Blair/ Brown's (Flexible) New Deal Edited February 7, 2011 by Charlton Peston Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lepista Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 It's the right thing to do I think... The right honourable... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sillybear2 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) Nearly all modern politicians are PPE graduates and careerists, politics is part of the managerial class, hence the associated ********. http://www.julianwellings.com/buzzwords4u/ "Personally penetrate the customer vertically and horizontally to build strong, professional relationships ~ Job description from FMCG company" Ouch. Edited February 7, 2011 by sillybear2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isakndar Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Ed Milliband's 'British Promise'. I do not know why but the phrase a 'British promise' feels immediately disappointing and has all the allure of a used condom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperduck Quack Quack Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 (edited) Another meaningless phrase that is soooo 'eighties' is 'wealth creation'. People use this term to bash the public sector and praise the private sector. But let's unpick this. You work for a local authority - you get paid a salary. You work for a private comapny - you get paid a salary - exactly the same thing. Ah, but a private company makes a profit.... which is 'wealth creation'. But where does that profit usually go? To the directors and shareholders. As we've seen with the banks, wealth creation equals huge salaries and bonuses for the top employees, who may well be in America, Germany or Japan. Edited February 8, 2011 by Hyperduck Quack Quack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cica Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 "The Tories are cutting the deficit too far and too fast for ideological reasons" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingHasToGive Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 "The Tories are cutting the deficit too far and too fast for ideological reasons" True... because clearly having an ideology is worse than making policies to buy votes. Or is that an ideology in itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byron Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 'The Far Right' Often woefully misapplied. generally by lefties who claim the working class as their power base Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperduck Quack Quack Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 'The Far Right' Often woefully misapplied. generally by lefties who claim the working class as their power base This one cuts both ways - with extremist lefties labelling anyone from Tory politicians to the police as 'fascists' and with extreme rightists (particularly in America) labelling anything left of centre as 'communist'.But the 'far-right' can't be dismissed as fiction - the BNP is far-right, and radical Islam is far-right as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sillybear2 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 "The controversial proposal..." Any sensible policy deemed reasonable by nearly everyone in the country, aside from the chattering classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selling up Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Fairness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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