Posted on 15-8-2002

Whose Language Is It Anyway?
by Alan Marston

The evolution of language is no different to that of the rest of human
society. First comes the mystic/poet/philosopher who, seeing things from an
alienated distance, sees first today the seeds of tomorrow's social
revolution, and puts it into new words or old words with new contexts. Then
follows the entrepreneur/opportunist, who puts the words to work for profit
and power, which, if such endeavours spark a change in social
consciousness, is quickly followed by established institutions adopting and
capturing the new words and destroying their original revolutionary
message. The spiral has been spun out. Evolution awaits the next
poet-philosopher.

In the 1970's the young revolutionaries in the West spoke using key words
like natural, organic, sustainable, green, peace clean. These words are
gone to the board-room and cabinet table, their revolutionary energy
sapped, drained, dead. New words and concepts are out there, as yet small
words, rudimentary concepts. Now is the time to bury the old words with due
ceremony and move on. Social unconsciousness is confused, anxious, floating
and afraid of sinking. The only boat without holes I can see, as yet hardly
discernible, bears the name Life-force.