Definitions

On occasion you will see terms and abbreviations used on this web site that may be unfamiliar to you. Below is a quick reference guide to these terms and abbreviations. This list will be expanded as the fancy strikes us.

Agitprop = Agitation and Propaganda: Inflammatory propaganda used with the intent of overriding critical thought and producing a desired reaction. Differs from simple propaganda in that it is meant to produce actions as well as convince. (See also "Propaganda.")

CPD™ = Comparitive Political Demonology (trademark): The process of making tit-for-tat comparisons between political figures or factions in the attempt to make one side look either better or worse than the other by comparison, when in truth neither side is blameless and the comparison is generally irrelevant to the issue at hand. Such comparisons are almost always completely dependent on the subjective emotional stance of the utterer(s), and are generally intended to divert discussion by distraction. Example: "Clinton lied to our faces about having sex with Lewinsky! And then he lied under oath!" "Well, at least he didn't lie us into war, which is worse." A prime symptom of PDS.

CW = Conventional Wisdom: The widely accepted but (usually) highly simplistic and often misleading interpretation of real-world events and situations.

DRUDGE RULE: The "Drudge Rule" is that any story originally brought to national attention on the Drudge Report that lacks any serious independent verifications should be considered as no more than unverified rumor for at least 24 to 48 hours, or until serious independent verification surfaces.

PAR = Politics As Religion: The readily apparent (and fairly self-explanatory) phenomena of politics and policy being treated as immutable articles of faith rather than approached rationally and objectively. Most obvious when actual facts and real-world results are discarded in a discussion as irrelevant, or ignored altogether.

PDS = Political Derangement Syndrome: A visceral and obsessive hatred and fixation on a person or faction in the field of politics, such that the sufferer is wholly unable to objectively assess anything related to that person or faction. Usually accompanied by a paranoic or near-paranoic tendency to attribute all things one objects to as being the responsibility of the obsession focus, and to dismiss all things originating from the obsessive focus as evil simply due to origin. While currently most visible as BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) this syndrome has been readily apparent in various forms since written history began. Irrevocably intertwined with the scapegoat function of mob control psychology and as such frequently used by faction leaders as a control device over their people. Them Evil. Us Good. The major distinction between scapegoating and PDS is that the focus is directed upwards, rather than at a weak minority. See also the Mock-King of the Saturnalia tradition, wherein the Mock-King would preside over the festival with full license, then be executed (for real) at the closing ceremonies.

Propaganda: A one-sided, biased presentation of an issue, trading on emotional appeals and a wide range of rhetorical devices in order to override critical assessment and secure conviction. The propagandist has found the truth and has no interest in encouraging others to engage in genuine inquiry. Note that while propaganda is definitionally misleading it is not at all necessarily factually false by nature--it is one-sided argument intended to persuade. (See also the conjugation of irregular verbs.)

True Believer: One who has surrendered their rational cognitive faculties to political or religious dogma or other "higher authority," and is thus incapable of objectively assessing real-world events and personalities that contradict the articles of faith promulgated by said particular dogma or authority in any way. All events must therefore be interpreted by the True Believer in ways completely consistent with the dogmatic "filter," and any facts or explanations lying outside the filter parameters disputed, denied, and/or dismissed. True Believerism is usually accompanied with zealotry. Examples: Biblical creationists, doctrinal Marxists, health Nazis, etc. Examples among political factions abound--the key indicator is a complete inflexibility in acknowledging any possibility lying outside of the dogmatic parameters. (See also the Law of the Instrument, and Tully's Corrolary.)