One of the best pieces of advice I've seen this year-end season is to read more broadly. As you may know, I couldn't agree more.
If I'm asking people to read more, it follows that writers should up their game. More precise writing is high on my list of New Year's wishes, which hopefully would lead to less of the following terms:
Fiscal cliff. This is a masterful phrase because it gives a Washington, D.C. budget standoff the drama of a Roadrunner cartoon. Nevermind that the reality is more of a fiscal slope, with a gradual drop in spending, and that voters support more progressive taxation in general. The breathless will-they-or-won't-they news stories are a disservice because they create a false equivalency between the two sides.
Conservative. This is innocuous when accurately applied, but can we please stop confusing it with "radical." Conservative means things like responsible budget stewardship and taking care of the environment. I remember a slogan I learned from some Republicans while covering politics in New Mexico in 2004: "Conservation is the most conservative value." Sharp turns to the right or left are radical.
Entitlements. When did the modern social safety net become synonymous with a spendthrift giveaway? The U.S. lags most OECD countries when it comes to things like health, maternity leave and child care yet we seem to want less. The rate and amount of government expenditures is an issue, of course, but pensioners are just as "entitled" to a livelihood as defense contractors. This terms confuses the issues.
Pro-choice vs. Pro-life. This may be a strange one at New Year's, but it will be back with a vengeance during the next campaign season. I know there are plenty of people who are against reproductive rights but I haven't met anyone who is overtly "anti-life" (not counting warmongers or advocates of capital punishment).
Gluten-free. The other day I saw a bottle of wine labeled "gluten-free." Seriously. Chemical intolerance is one thing, but this fad has crossed the line. It makes me want to take my copy of Strunk & White, grab a loaf of bread (made with organic whole wheat flour) and welcome 2013 with a fine all-fruit merlot.
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