Last week White House Press Secretary Jay Carney used the word ransom in a press briefing to describe the list of GOP demands, such as gutting the Affordable Care Act, in exchange for reopening the government and preventing the nation from defaulting on its debt. There was some audiable push back from a few reporters in the room who thought the word ransom was far too harsh a description. Congressional Republicans threatened a government shutdown and a debt-ceiling crisis unless their demands were met. GOP officials not only embraced the word hostage and threatened to do deliberate harm to the country unless they were satisfied by Democratic offers, but they also said they expected Democrats to make concessions in exchange for nothing -- except the release of their metaphorical hostages. If ransom is excessive, whats the alternative? Payoff? Is that better or worse? Sometimes a word may be provocative, and may even carry a politically charged meaning. But that doesnt mean it isnt the right word to use. In the case of the latest Republican hostage crisis, the debate shouldnt be whether ransom is too mean, but whether the GOP tactics are too dangerous.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 04:46:57 +0000
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