Language as a Dagger
We passed linguistic gymnastics a long, long time ago. We are in a war now.
An extremely effective rhetorical trick is a propaganda tactic called âpreemptive framing.â It involves establishing an interpretive framework before events occur to shape how people understand those events when they happen.
We saw this when the Seditious Six Senators used a tactic called implicatureâthat is when the implied meaning differs from the literal statement. The Seditious Six senators were literally saying âdonât follow illegal ordersâ (an uncontroversial truism), but the implicature is âorders from this administration are likely illegal and if you follow them, when we get in power we are going to prosecute you.â
They began with using apophasis (also called paralipsis) by raising a subject by claiming not to raise it. âIâm not saying the orders will be illegal but remember you donât have to follow illegal orders.â The denial plants the suggestion.
This rhetorical combination is particularly insidious because it provides plausible deniability. If challenged, the senators can claim they were merely stating established military lawâwhich is exactly what they are doing now. Maybe they will escape any real sanction for the act, but the timing and context make the real message unmistakable: theyâre priming the military to view lawful orders as potentially illegal and offering political cover for insubordination.
So much of what is going on in society and politics is based in language. The war of words has become a literal war and thatâs not hyperbole, the people opposing Trump and his supporters (and respect for any law that get in the way of their agenda) know they are engaged in a war.
An iron rule when dealing with progressives is that itâs never about what they tell youâit is always about power.
Communists have long understood thisâour side, not so much. Weâre losing. Trump is losingâand his approval rating is showing the impact of the linguistic attacks. Our side needs to recognize when these tactics are in play and how to deal with them.
You canât beat preemptive framing by ignoring, denying, becoming defensive or over-explaining (I had a mentor who told me if you are explaining, you are losing).
This is how we fight back:
First, call it out explicitly. Donât address the surface claimâexpose the actual tactic. âSix senators just tried to prime the military for insubordination against lawful orders that donât exist. This is political subversion, not legal guidance.â
Second, reframe immediately with your own narrative. Donât let their frame sit unchallenged for even a news cycle. Every service member already knows about illegal ordersâmaking this about military law is the con. Make it about what it really is: partisan interference in military discipline.
Third, demand specificity. Force them to name the illegal order theyâre concerned about. When they canâtâbecause there isnât oneâtheir entire premise collapses. Make their vagueness the story.
Fourth, reject their premise entirely. The question isnât whether orders are legal. The question is why senators are trying to inject doubt into the chain of command before any orders are given.
The right keeps trying to win arguments on the merits while the left wins by controlling which argument weâre having. Until conservatives learn to recognize and counter these linguistic warfare tactics, weâll keep losing ground even when weâre right on substance. It is happening in Minnesota right now and I donât think anyone at the White House has caught on that nobody gives two fecal evacuations about Venezuela, Greenland, or Iran while there is a genuine insurrection going on in Minnesota.
Other radical Democrat governors in blue states are watching and waiting.
Susie Wiles needs to get a bit in Trumpâs mouth and get the White House geeinâ and hawinâ on the right messaging tactics.
Understanding how linguistics is used as a weapon isnât just academicâitâs survival in modern political combat.



Very insightful. Send her your paper.
Please send your paper to Trump, his Cabinet, and Republicans in Congress. Thanks!