Back in the 20th there was a phrase called “newspeak” (from the novel 1984) which meant things like what we see in the news all the time now.
Looking at Israel’s Netanyahu’s statement concerning their goals toward Hamas, he made the statement that Israel’s two main goals are “to demilitarize and deradicalize Gaza.”
Demilitarize is plain enough. Though I’d have chosen the word “disarm.” It’s simpler and far less vague.
But what the heck does “deradicalize” mean? That’s taking vague to a whole new level that even George Orwell(1) would have gone “huh?” over.(2)
Today we can just say “double-speak” and “gobbledy-gook” and cover it just as well, though “newspeak” meant something quite specific. Oh well…
Kick ’em when they’re up — kick ’em when they’re down.
Kick ’em when they’re up — kick ’em all around.
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(1) Author of 1984. Frankly, if he could see where we are now, he’d probably cry. No, he’d certainly weep for what’s was so gratuitously and easily thrown away. That novel and the similar one [in it’s own way] Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) were both meant as warnings to the general public about where things were heading. Unfortunately, they seem to have been used more as blueprints by entirely the wrong people. Alas…
(2) What ever is “officially” meant by “deradicalize” I’ll bet you real money (if there is such a thing any more) that it includes their doing radical things to Hamas. Go figure…