Language of Deception

"You people shoud consider yourself lucky that I'm granting you an audience tomorrow instead of 20 years from now."
--The Wizard (The Wizard of Oz)

Points made here remind me that the language used by bureaucrats to describe government programs typically shares certain characteristics. Government language is meant to deceive. 'Quantitative Easing' is inflation, pure and simple. But labeling the program as such would certainly raise even more eyebrows than have already been raised.

Government language is also meant to intimidate. Quantitative Easing sounds complicated. Many people presume that the program is far beyond their capacities to comprehend it, so they don't bother. Citizens disengage their brains and increase their dependence on the wizards that head these programs goes up.

Opaque language thus is an important tool for the State to gain power at liberty's expense.