WHAT'S IN A NAME - THOUGHTS ON ANTONYMS

I read an article recently about a bill being proposed by Republicans in the House of Representatives.  The bill is designed to restrict student loans, increase money that can be borrowed for students attending for-profit schools (which have a history of discrimination, low graduation rates, and other financial problems), and change the way student loans are paid back.  Of course, the bill is called Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act.  Hmmm!  This is an interesting title for an act that would do exactly opposite of its claim.

This seems to be a pattern within Republican circles lately.  I am not sure how long this has been going on, but I suspect a pretty long time.  It is the modus operandi for Republicans. 

It seems the purpose is to deliberately misdirect citizens and legislators as to the purpose of the bill.  The hope is that people will read the name of the bill and skip reading the contents.  Doesn't the title tell everything you need to know?

I noticed this when I learned that state legislators voted to destroy unions and called the bills "Right to Work."  They should have been called "Right to Wreck" but such a name would not win many friends, even Republicans, so can't have that.  We know the result.  Workers' pay has remained mostly static for 40 years.  It is unions that cause wages to rise and workplace conditions to improve.

Then, in the early 2000's, the Bush Administration passed "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB)  The design of the law emphasized underfunded testing and other education-related factors that ended up leaving a lot of children behind, particularly those in poor, disadvantaged communities.  Schools were labelled on the basis of the results from tests designed by representatives from privileged districts and others who knew little about how education works.  In this case, one might imagine that Congress wanted to help, but their lack of knowledge of schools and the education system let them believe this would work. Maybe . . .

So, if you really want to know what Republican bills are actually about, think, "what is the opposite of what the bill's title claims?"  That will be it.  So much for truth in advertising. 

This continues today.  For example, The Religious Restoration Acts are proposed in many states where Republicans have a majority in the legislature.  This act allows "religious" people to refuse service to folks they do not agree with religiously.  Another bill is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Bill which became the 2017 tax cut mostly for the wealthiest individuals and corporations.  These entities already informed us that they were going to use their big tax break to buy up their stocks.  Jobs were not on their agenda, neither were higher wages. 

Watch the news source you depend on and you'll see plenty more of these.  If a Republican or conservative proposes the bill, check the title and think, "opposite."