14 July 2026
Resolved - Combatting foul political language?
This week’s poll was nearly too close to call. Surrogacy was just barely ahead on Monday morning, and then foul political language pulled ever so slightly ahead by noon. My solution to this close result? We’ll discuss foul political language this week and next week we’ll discuss surrogacy (which has very, very frequently come in second over the past year).
So…foul language in politics. Can anything be done about it? Once upon a time there were (famously) words you couldn’t say on TV. Technically, it’s still true that you can’t say those words on public airwaves (TV or radio) during hours when children are likely to be listening. But private airwaves are another matter. And the internet remains largely unregulated, except by privately owned websites (which can impose their own regulations).
Personally, I think the cat is now out of the bag. The horse has left the barn. I don’t see any way of limiting this kind of language. I would prefer that politicians set a better example. But what is the likelihood of that, when all discourse has become coarsened?
Do you see any way to change this?
What do you think?
Update from my surgery: it went well however lots of pain overnight and a little nursing assistant who is too small to help me getting up.
Hospitals need men! Bring back orderlies!
One possible cause of looking the other way at foul language is that society is no longer dominated by family rules, but single-person-individuality rules. I surmise that the trend would reverse if traditional families with children became the 'norm.'
I'm sure many JIP'ers remember when TV shows were squeaky clean, issuing civic-minded morality.
I was at a Shore motel over the weekend. Two adults making out in a 'let's get pregnant' way in the pool in front of children.
Do I despise grinding tongue-sucking PDA because I'm a dried up old maid, or because it's GROSS?