THE DOUBLESPEAK WORLD WE LIVE IN

It never ceases to amaze me the word games we play with each other on both a personal and professional level. I’m not talking about harassment or insults, but the doublespeak that seems to infiltrate our daily lives.

Just drive to the local supermarket and you’ll be bombarded with these phrases. The most popular one that always gets me is "fresh frozen." What the Hell is that supposed to mean? It’s either fresh ...or it’s frozen. How could it possibly be both! Can I go and pick some fresh wild strawberries, wrap them in plastic, stick ‘em in my freezer, then try to sell the batch six months later as "fresh frozen?" I guess so but you could imagine what they’d taste like.

More recently we have the doublespeak of professionals and politicians that crash over us on a daily basis. Jeff Skilling, previously of the now defunct Enron corporation, is still in court (albeit with a tan and a nicely pressed five-thousand-dollar suit) claiming that he was hurt financially just as badly as the other employees and shareholders who are now penniless because of the company’s shady business practices. President Bush, whenever questioned about anything challenging, constantly brings up the term "national security." He even mentioned it during a briefing that criticized the federal government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina! What the...! I’m still trying to figure that one out.

And, of course, on the international scene, we have Iran’s claim that they’ve just enriched Uranium but have no intentions of developing atomic weapons. Yeah. Right. Sure. And dogs don’t have ears.
(Don't you just love the dove in the background, too. Awww, so peaceful.)

The next time you pick up a newspaper, take a look at the double-meaning words and phrases the permeate our daily existence. Grrrr!