The book Words That Work by Frank Luntz discusses the study of framing words for political and business purposes. For example, one focus group was given the concept of welfare and the vast majority of participants voted against it. Another focus group with about the same demographics was asked about government’s responsibility to help the less fortunate. By about the same overwhelming margin, the second group voted in support of government’s obligation to aid the poor.
Framing has become a science and people’s reactions to an idea can depend on how it’s phrased.
Recently, my stock broker called and told me we should harvest my tax losses. The word harvest struck an agrarian note with me and created an image of abundance and wealth as opposed to one of privation and pain.
Last week I met a guy who is a Stabilization Agent. My first reaction was that he was an ingredient in yoghurt or ice cream, but he went on to explain his field of expertise. He goes in to companies teetering on bankruptcy, convinces lenders that the company is salvageable, and proceeds to negotiate debt and labor contracts as if the company has already declared chapter 11.
On the national level, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have entered in to phase of “conservatorship.” I gather it means the brilliant legislators who allowed these institutions to over leverage and trade derivatives will now orchestrate their revival with the same care and expertise that brought them down. At least these two stellar institutions did not grant preferential mortgages.
Framing has been around for a long time and if we’re not careful, we can all fall prey to this kind of word play. One of my personal favorites is “deficit spending.” Translation? Spending money we don’t have or continually borrowing money to pay the debt we’ve created.
It’s only a matter of time until “toxic assets” will be reframed. Who wants to own anything deemed toxic? Soon they will be referred to as “opportunity assets.”
The acronym for the Troubled Asset Relief Program is TARP. One could interpret the word TARP as a protective covering or as a cover-up. The program should have been called the Selective Compensation Rewards for Executive Wastefulness or SCREW. Another option I might suggest: Continual Remorse Americans Provide–CRAP.
Be on the lookout next week for a few new phrases emanating from Washington.
Tags: Word tricks
