Euphemisms, PC and problems

The continuous trend towards the use of euphemisms in the service of political correctness has resulted in a dangerous blindness (visual challenge).

Let's take the current economic crises (there are more than one of them around) that are plaguing the world. The crises have some of their primary roots in the collapse of the US housing market and its consequent domino effect on the hundreds of financial institutions that were participating to some degree (often third- and fourth-hand) in this bubble.

This participation was encouraged and facilitated largely because either nobody understood what was happening or nobody gave a damn as long as their short-term goals were being met. Assuming a charitable mantle and discounting the effect of the second alternative, why did no one understand what was happening?

Because, financial markets and marketeers have proven themselves past masters of the euphemism.

"Subprime" is such a reassuring, gentle description. It has the merit of having "prime" in there, which conjures up such rosy optimism that the mind shuts off the prefix "sub". No one really cares that sub denotes "below" - it doesn't register. That's a classic euphemism. These weren't just subprime loans. They were loans that never had the remotest chance of being repaid.

Ninja loans, in fact. Doesn't that sound macho and action-oriented? Try (loans given to those with) No Income No Job as an Acronym. Ninja. Masters of spin.

Let's get back to calling a spade a bloody shovel. That way, we just might recognise it when someone clobbers us over the head with one.

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