Words Matter (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

Just a random observation. 

Words matter. A lot. Especially from the top of our government. 

I think this is a good example. 

It's about Russia and Ukraine but it's not really about that. It's about being super clear on words. And a reminder to myself to be careful. 

I especially hope and pray our folks and companies who have big audiences will do the same. 

White House says it's no longer calling potential Russian invasion of Ukraine 'imminent'

The White House says it will no longer describe a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine as "imminent," suggesting the word sent an unintended message when officials used it last week.

"I used that once. I think others have used that once. And then we stopped using it because I think it sent a message that we weren't intending to send, which was that we knew (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin had made a decision," press secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing Wednesday.

"I would say the vast majority of times I've talked about it, we said he could invade at any time," she went on. "That's true. We still don't know that he's made a decision."

 

[Da Guru]

Just a random observation. 

Words matter. A lot. Especially from the top of our government. 

I think this is a good example. 

It's about Russia and Ukraine but it's not really about that. It's about being super clear on words. And a reminder to myself to be careful. 

I especially hope and pray our folks and companies who have big audiences will do the same. 

White House says it's no longer calling potential Russian invasion of Ukraine 'imminent'

The saber rattling in this day and age gets exhausting.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Just a random observation. 

Words matter. A lot. Especially from the top of our government. 

I think this is a good example. 

It's about Russia and Ukraine but it's not really about that. It's about being super clear on words. And a reminder to myself to be careful. 

I especially hope and pray our folks and companies who have big audiences will do the same. 

White House says it's no longer calling potential Russian invasion of Ukraine 'imminent'

Very true. I have a post about it somewhere...

 

[RCon]

Very true. I have a post about it somewhere...

"A post" as in singular?  Come on, Y23F, words matter! 

 

[ekbeats]

Yeah I was surprised that the White House used the word imminent.  I know Jen Psaki is beloved in here but that was really a bad mistake.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Yeah I was surprised that the White House used the word imminent.  I know Jen Psaki is beloved in here but that was really a bad mistake.

Yep.  Tough job to be impeccable with words — but that’s the job.  And using the word imminent was a big miss.

 

[ekbeats]

Yep.  Tough job to be impeccable with words — but that’s the job.  And using the word imminent was a big miss.

It’s a very tough job.  I drafted insurance forms for 7 years and it was brutal.  You had to learn to read the words you wrote and imagine all the different ways there could be confusion or misinterpretation. 

 

[tymarsas]

Totally agree. I'm glad they are willing to admit their mistake and take it back. It was a dumb thing to say. Hopefully it didn't cause too much damage already.There is way too much doubling down on bad opinions/comments nowadays.

 

[The Commish]

They matter when defined properly.  At this point, I'd settle on getting the definitions correct.  That would be step number one IMO.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Yep.  Tough job to be impeccable with words — but that’s the job.  And using the word imminent was a big miss.

And to be clear, the actual situation with the Ukraine here wasn't the point. It was just that words do matter. I thought Psaki did the right thing correcting. They clearly agree with what I'm saying. 

I was talking less about anyone in particular and more making an observation. I see this often in things way outside of Politics as well. I'm constantly sifting through NFL takes where a writer says something that simply doesn't have the evidence there to support it. Words matter there too. At least to a site like ours. 

Mainly an observation. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

And to be clear, the actual situation with the Ukraine here wasn't the point. It was just that words do matter. I thought Psaki did the right thing correcting. They clearly agree with what I'm saying. 

I was talking less about anyone in particular and more making an observation. I see this often in things way outside of Politics as well. I'm constantly sifting through NFL takes where a writer says something that simply doesn't have the evidence there to support it. Words matter there too. At least to a site like ours. 

Mainly an observation. 

Yep.  I took it that way.  It’s a very public, high profile example of what you observed and described.

 

[timschochet]

Words matter more, obviously, when they come from the White House. 
Biden and company have obviously made a few gaffes, bad ones, when it comes to this situation. But overall his strategy of putting more and more public pressure on Putin is a good one IMO. The Russians could have invaded weeks ago yet Putin has hesitated. If ultimately he doesn’t invade it will be a great victory for Biden. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

Yep.  I took it that way.  It’s a very public, high profile example of what you observed and described.

Thanks GB.

 

[Summer Wheat]

Yeah I was surprised that the White House used the word imminent.  I know Jen Psaki is beloved in here but that was really a bad mistake.

    Maybe a couple people at most.

 

[BladeRunner]

    Maybe a couple people at most.

Right? But not that beloved.   It's not like they started an appreciation thread or anything.

Oh, wait.....   

 

[Summer Wheat]

Right? But not that beloved.   It's not like they started an appreciation thread or anything.

Oh, wait.....   

I think it is only a few people though.  I liked Jenny at first but she went downhill fast.

 

[Sand]

Words matter more, obviously, when they come from the White House. 

I guess with "imminent" they are claiming a gaffe.  I wonder when they will offer an apology for coordinating the whole upper echelon of government and the Fed to use "transitory".

Words matter. A lot. Especially from the top of our government. 

They do, particularly when they knowingly and in a coordinated manner lie to the American people. 

At this point, I'm cheering for Rogan as POTUS. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

I guess with "imminent" they are claiming a gaffe.  I wonder when they will offer an apology for coordinating the whole upper echelon of government and the Fed to use "transitory".

Thanks. I don't think they're calling it a gaffe. I think they're saying it was a mistake and they noted it and stopped doing it. That's how it should work.