https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2011/01/18/free-the-dictionary/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usSat, 13 Jun 2026 03:09:36 -0400<![CDATA[CNN is now apologizing for the use of the word &#8220;crosshairs&#8221; in general political speech, as shown in the video after the &#8220;Read More&#8221; jump. The implication is that the word itself has been used to facilitate a hate crime. That is untrue, as former New York City Mayor Ed Koch observes. But maybe the belief is that if a lie is repeated for long enough then it eventually becomes true. Then power follows. &#8220;Real power is the ability to define what the fight is about.&#8221; The entire discussion moves into a rigged casino. Control words and you control truth. George Orwell understood this so well that he believed one of the first things every totalitarian ideology does is redefine the words in a language, purposefully, forcefully and relentlessly. In his novel 1984, he called this artificial language of totalitarianism Newspeak.]]>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:42:32 -0500<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2011/01/18/free-the-dictionary-n190269