WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Words have meanings. That they do so is important, that what we say should accurately reflect what we think lies at the heart of effective verbal communication.

So if I make a statement such as, we are all in this together, you will understand that I am saying something rather splendid about human solidarity. It speaks of ‘all for one and one for all,’ of ‘I am Spartacus’ and ‘you pick on him, you pick on me.’

Not so for our chancellor George Osborne, for when he uses the phrase he means something different. For him it means, it has been raining heavily, maintaining the roof is expensive, so I'm reducing the size of the roof. It means that those outside are going to have to get used to getting a lot wetter. It means I am going to pick on the young, the poor and marginalised, since the electoral maths allow me to get away with it. It means I am going to do all I can to defend the wealthy and insulate them from the impact of austerity. Finally it means that that as I do these things I need to sound Churchillian and egalitarian.


War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
We Are All In This Together
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