Language as a Political Instrument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language as a Political Instrument - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that while the use of language has been in existence since time immemorial, people normally convey various messages using selective language, with some qualifying for political language. Certainly, language can play a pivotal role in relaying political messages especially in situations and environments where the impending messages may spark strong reactions. More often than not, euphemism has been at the center stage of driving political messages whereby one uses a language that appears to be more controversial or less serious to disguise the reality of the situation. In this regard, it is important to note that language the manner in which people use language determines the positivity or negativity of the language especially when it comes to political statements. Similarly, in James Baldwin’s essay, â€Å"If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?† Baldwin claims that Black English result from political alienation. He frequently compares and contrasts Black English from the ‘right’ English. While some political acts appear so gruesome to be put in plain language, most people who make political statements tend to employ euphemism in their speeches in order to negate the veracity or intensity of the situation they are trying to explain. In this regard, James Baldwin claims that Black English result from political alienation essay in the essay If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?... Owing to the fact that in most cases, the language a person uses defines who they are, people have the tendency of evolving the language they use in order to evade being submerged in situations that they are not in a position to articulate (Baldwin 653). This is especially so because different people speaking the same language can have different connotations for the same language based on their background and geographical location. Although everyone uses language in order to control and articulate various realities in life, it is worthy to note that language can sometimes transform into a political tool owing to its ability to bring out the identities of various persons and communities. This is especially true when it comes to the French and Britons who have heavy accents and various political undertones attached to their language and therefore identifying a foreigner in such countries is quite an easy task (Baldwin 654). According to Orwell, most people who use political speech do s o in defense of various ugly scenarios, although this often backfires in the end (5). In order for a political language to be effective in its context, euphemism and vagueness need to be injected through various language articulations. A classic example of cases where political languages have used euphemism are the ‘continuance of British rule in India’ and the ‘the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan’. These statements appear less critical in their current context though the situation on the ground at the time of the two major events was quite astonishing, at least according to history books. In essence, the language used by the political class in describing past or present events normally portray a major understatement for example a country