We did it! With the support of thenation.com‘s loyal readers, Nation Books has just published The Dictionary of Republicanisms–an attempt to call out and decode the right’s well-funded efforts to transform American political discourse to suit its political ends. I want to personally thank the hundreds of readers, from forty-four states, who submitted literally thousands of definitions. They were strong, smart, and funny. The book itself is a distillation of my favorites.
Check out a few definitions:
Dick Cheney, n. The greater of two evils [Jacob McCullar, Austin, TX]
Extraordinary Rendition, n. Outsourcing terror [Milton Feldon, Laguna Woods, CA]
Healthy Forest, n. No Tree Left Behind [Dan McWilliams, Santa Barbara, CA]
Voter Fraud, n. A significant minority turnout. [Sue Bazy, Philadelphia, PA]
In the fight against the radical right, it’s my hope that this book will serve as inspiration for progressives who have known for a long time that the conservative agenda is bad for America. Slowly, the rest of the nation seems to be waking up to this fact. But we can’t be complacent. The right-wing machine was built over decades, and it won’t stop simply because its had a few bad weeks.
At The Nation, we will continue to skewer the Orwellian doublespeak of the Republican right, hopefully with your help. The bad news from the White House continues, and we are presented daily with new words and people demanding redefinition. Some recent examples: The Apprentice (by Scooter Libby), Arabian Horse Association, avian flu, Brownie, entanglement (e.g. Judy Miller/Scooter Libby), ethics seminar, federal indictment, To be Harriet Miered, heck of a job, pandemic, Plamegate, Scalito.
So we’re once again taking submissions for follow-up weblog postings. If you didn’t submit before, now is your chance. Just click here to submit definitions.
If you are part of a book club, work together on the definitions. Or buy a copy of the book and invite some friends over. All proceeds will go to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. And if you happen to know one of the authors in the collection (they are from all over the country), please invite them too. They should be celebrated for their wit and wisdom.
