Framing: Thug, Terrorist, Pirate, any Difference?
I have been reading some articles about the problem of introducing to the public an idea about which they are unfamiliar. I think that one problem we have and one that political parties has mastered, as displayed in recent elections, is how to better manipulate public opinion.
Data acquires significance only when it is mapped into some kind of pattern. The pattern consists of facts and ideas bundled in a format know as scripts, frames, and schemata. These frames (I will use this label) are data and ideas that are attached to a general idea. An example might be the word ‘relief’. . “Here's the frame: In order to give someone relief, there has to be an affliction and an afflicted party -- somebody who's harmed by this affliction -- and a reliever, somebody who gives relief to the afflicted party or takes away the harm or pain. That reliever is a hero. And if someone tries to stop the person giving relief from doing so, they are a bad guy. They are a villain. They want to keep the affliction ongoing. So when you use only one word, "relief," all of that information is called up. That is a simple conceptual frame.†Quotes from George Lakoff
“Then there's metaphorical thought. We all think metaphorically. When you add "tax" to "relief" to give you the term "tax relief," it says that taxation is an affliction. That's a new metaphor. Then, using the metaphor, anyone who gets rid of the taxation -- the affliction -- is a hero, and anybody who tries to stop him is a bad guy.†Quotes from George Lakoff
It is psychologically difficult to disturb an established mapping because of habit and it is difficult to start a new mapping because it is difficult to remember a new mapping and it is difficult to recognize the new relationships.
We are all subjected to habitual thinking. Information that does not fit into some established frame tends to be easily forgotten. Information that fits well into an established frame will be remembered well.
The “War on Terror†is no more. It has been replaced by the “global struggle against violent extremism.â€
The phrase “War on Terror†was chosen with care. “War†is a crucial term. It evokes a war frame, and with it, the idea that the nation is under military attack – an attack that can only be defended militarily, by use of armies, planes, bombs, and so on. The war frame includes special war powers for the president, who becomes commander in chief. It evokes unquestioned patriotism, and the idea that of lack of support for the war effort is treasonous. It forces Congress to give unlimited powers to the President, lest detractors be called unpatriotic. And the war frame includes an end to the war – winning the war, mission accomplished!
The war frame is all-consuming. It takes away focus from other problems, from everyday troubles, from jobs, education, health care, a failing economy. It justifies the spending of huge sums, and sending raw recruits into battle with inadequate equipment. It justifies the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. It justifies torture, military tribunals, and no due process. It justifies scaring people, with yellow, orange, and red alerts. But, while it was politically useful, the war frame never fit the reality of terrorism. It was successful at consolidating power, but counterproductive in dealing with the real threat.
Colin Powell had suggested “crime†as the frame to use. It justifies an international hunt for the criminals, allows “police actions†when the military is absolutely required, and places the focus and the funding on where it should go: intelligence, diplomacy, politics, economics, religion, banking, and so on. And it would have kept us militarily strong and in a better position to deal with cases like North Korea and Darfur.
But the crime frame comes with no additional power for the president and no way to hide domestic troubles. It comes with trials at the international court, giving that court’s sovereignty over purely American institutions. It couldn’t win in the administration as constituted.
The abstract noun, “terrorâ€, names not a nation or even people, but an emotion and the acts that create it. A “war on terror†can only be metaphorical. Terror cannot be destroyed by weapons or signing a peace treaty. A war on terror has no end. The president’s war powers have no end. The need for a Patriot Act has no end.
It is important to note the date on which the phrase “war on terror†died and was replaced by “global struggle against violent extremism.†It was right after the London bombing. Using the War frame to think and talk about terrorism was becoming more difficult. The Iraq War was declared won and over, but it became clear that it was far from over and not at all won and that it created many new terrorists for every one it destroyed. The last justification – fighting the war on terror in Iraq so it wouldn’t have to be fought at home — died in the London bombing.
We have a similar problem with the use of the word “pirate†when speaking of the bandits taking control of ships and their crews and then demanding ransom from the ship owners. How do we now take the romanticism framed in the word “pirate†from these thugs who are really just common criminals?
Framing: Thug, Terrorist, Pirate, any Difference?
Framing: Thug, Terrorist, Pirate, any Difference?
Once again you make a very good point.
In history this is also the case, take the American Revolution for example. If this was to happen today would they be ‘revolutionaries’ or would they be ‘terrorists’ committing acts of gorilla warfare?
Many of the actions that established countries used to gain their current independent status would not be so welcomed these days. When does a ‘freedom fighter’ become a ‘terrorist’? When do a group of people fighting for independence become rebels? When does a country defending its way of life and political policies become ‘evil’?
In history this is also the case, take the American Revolution for example. If this was to happen today would they be ‘revolutionaries’ or would they be ‘terrorists’ committing acts of gorilla warfare?
Many of the actions that established countries used to gain their current independent status would not be so welcomed these days. When does a ‘freedom fighter’ become a ‘terrorist’? When do a group of people fighting for independence become rebels? When does a country defending its way of life and political policies become ‘evil’?
Framing: Thug, Terrorist, Pirate, any Difference?
mikeinie;1179353 wrote: Once again you make a very good point.
In history this is also the case, take the American Revolution for example. If this was to happen today would they be ‘revolutionaries’ or would they be ‘terrorists’ committing acts of gorilla warfare?
Many of the actions that established countries used to gain their current independent status would not be so welcomed these days. When does a ‘freedom fighter’ become a ‘terrorist’? When do a group of people fighting for independence become rebels? When does a country defending its way of life and political policies become ‘evil’?
Do you not think, that access to democratic rights, free elections go some way to defining a freedom fighter or terrorist.
To me, the aparthied struggle in South Africa was a good example of fighting for freedom. There was no access to any recourse other than violence and to a large degree it succeeded. The IRA, ETA, Baader meinhoff et al, all had access to the ballot box
In history this is also the case, take the American Revolution for example. If this was to happen today would they be ‘revolutionaries’ or would they be ‘terrorists’ committing acts of gorilla warfare?
Many of the actions that established countries used to gain their current independent status would not be so welcomed these days. When does a ‘freedom fighter’ become a ‘terrorist’? When do a group of people fighting for independence become rebels? When does a country defending its way of life and political policies become ‘evil’?
Do you not think, that access to democratic rights, free elections go some way to defining a freedom fighter or terrorist.
To me, the aparthied struggle in South Africa was a good example of fighting for freedom. There was no access to any recourse other than violence and to a large degree it succeeded. The IRA, ETA, Baader meinhoff et al, all had access to the ballot box
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Framing: Thug, Terrorist, Pirate, any Difference?
I agree, however, in a form of government wherein the citizen is sovereign one must have a citizenry that comprehends the facts. What we have learned is that the facts are often distorted by the framing of the issue. I suspect that the definition of these terms is not what leads to the comprehension that we seek in the general population. Citizens without Critical Thinking skills are easily manipulated by framing and are seldom moved by undistorted facts.
The problem is that few people understand the nature of frames and the force these frames have. When people do not comprehend they are unable to look behind the curtain. Another big problem is how to frame the issue to fit your value system.
Another good example of the power of good framing was the success of the conservatives in reframing the inheritance tax into a death tax.
People embedded within an ideology have a point of view that to them is universally true and is natural. They do not comprehend that they are using a linguistic frame. Take the pro-life church going individual. To that person the killing of a baby is not a frame but is reality. Likewise the pro-choice individual considers that the only rational way to look at the matter is from the choice view point. Ideologies are powerful because most of the individuals have the truth and the truth is whatever the truth of the ideology is.
The problem is that few people understand the nature of frames and the force these frames have. When people do not comprehend they are unable to look behind the curtain. Another big problem is how to frame the issue to fit your value system.
Another good example of the power of good framing was the success of the conservatives in reframing the inheritance tax into a death tax.
People embedded within an ideology have a point of view that to them is universally true and is natural. They do not comprehend that they are using a linguistic frame. Take the pro-life church going individual. To that person the killing of a baby is not a frame but is reality. Likewise the pro-choice individual considers that the only rational way to look at the matter is from the choice view point. Ideologies are powerful because most of the individuals have the truth and the truth is whatever the truth of the ideology is.
Framing: Thug, Terrorist, Pirate, any Difference?
Snowfire;1179360 wrote: Do you not think, that access to democratic rights, free elections go some way to defining a freedom fighter or terrorist.
To me, the aparthied struggle in South Africa was a good example of fighting for freedom. There was no access to any recourse other than violence and to a large degree it succeeded. The IRA, ETA, Baader meinhoff et al, all had access to the ballot box
It is not always as straight forward as that.
(Not to start a hellfire on a sensitive topic), but take for example the IRA. The British would clearly have seen them as a terrorist organization, where the position of the IRA was to fight for a free and independent country with the right for self government. Both are based on the principle of democracy with free elections.
What about the FLQ in Quebec who once fought for an independent Quebec in Canada? Were they terrorists or were they just fighting for independence?
What about ETA (the Basque separatists in Spain), again within a free and democratic society, yet wanting an independent state?
To me, the aparthied struggle in South Africa was a good example of fighting for freedom. There was no access to any recourse other than violence and to a large degree it succeeded. The IRA, ETA, Baader meinhoff et al, all had access to the ballot box
It is not always as straight forward as that.
(Not to start a hellfire on a sensitive topic), but take for example the IRA. The British would clearly have seen them as a terrorist organization, where the position of the IRA was to fight for a free and independent country with the right for self government. Both are based on the principle of democracy with free elections.
What about the FLQ in Quebec who once fought for an independent Quebec in Canada? Were they terrorists or were they just fighting for independence?
What about ETA (the Basque separatists in Spain), again within a free and democratic society, yet wanting an independent state?
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Bill Sikes
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Framing: Thug, Terrorist, Pirate, any Difference?
mikeinie;1179557 wrote: It is not always as straight forward as that.
(Not to start a hellfire on a sensitive topic), but take for example the IRA. The British would clearly have seen them as a terrorist organization
That's an interesting one to choose, since it is an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland, as well as in the UK. Hm. I believe it's designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in the 'States, too. Is this state of affairs the same for the FLQ or ETA? What of "freedom fighters" in Iraq... it's all a bit difficult.
(Not to start a hellfire on a sensitive topic), but take for example the IRA. The British would clearly have seen them as a terrorist organization
That's an interesting one to choose, since it is an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland, as well as in the UK. Hm. I believe it's designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in the 'States, too. Is this state of affairs the same for the FLQ or ETA? What of "freedom fighters" in Iraq... it's all a bit difficult.