“Throughout our history in America, we have become the, shall I not mix-terms, victims of people’s mis-use of terminology-patterns. . . Or, our speech and terms we impose upon others. Speech patterns are nothing more than sounds we have accepted to communicate, over the past, from approximately 5,000 years ago. These patterns developed when we learned to form words, from alphabets designed from animal-drawings, and sounds (Nature); thereby, connecting them creatively with other patterns and lines found in Nature. We then intermixed these elements into language.
The sounds we use are not worldwide, so no necessity to assume superiority exists, as each system of communication varies throughout the world, of sounds, chirps, clicks of the tongue, of smacking of the lips, or growls and grunts, et al.; which were, around much longer, than our English Language. To each tribal circumstance, speech patterns vary widely. Then formally formatted into structural verse, or the written language.
Aristotle did not discover our written language, but he created the first formal system of logic, and pioneered structural rules for speech, meaning, and propositions. He had no idea at that time, doing something “good”, could eventually evolve into something with a diversity of use, positive, and, unfortunately, negative.
Communicate, yes, and purvey ideas and ideologies, as well as discuss potentials for life itself, and just plain-ol’ get along with others, for understanding and perspectives. But there developed a negative-side, used by people that would, and did to this day, use it to pander, manipulate, develop confrontation & hatred, start wars, misuse terms, et al. Yes, extreme humane-traits, indeed, and why Ethics and Morality, Aristotle’s answer to the language itself and how to perhaps use it properly, as he observed at the same time, terminology of words being misused.
The question does arise, what does Wolves or Wild Horses, have to do with all of this? A lot, quite frankly. We observe today such terms as Re-Wilding, Indigenous, Nonindigenous, Conservation, Necessity, Reasoning, Tradition, Heritage, among many others, or such terms as Rural & Urban Divide, being used to convey many different approaches toward Nature.
Aristotle viewed written language as secondary symbols for spoken words, which in turn symbolize mental experiences; thereby, we perceive particular terms to mean more than others, i.e. non-franchised terms so to speak weaker in context, in order to develop a pattern, as one to carry more weight or power over other terms of lesser value. And use deductively, for formal and deductive reasoning and symbols, e.g. the use of “And”, at the start of a sentence, or “misuse” as some suppose, in regard to grammar, draws attention, then turns subordinate to the thought purveyed. . .
Many authors use it, Fitzgerald, et al., as the English Grammar snobs’ heads spin, in disgust LOL. Yet, starting a sentence with “And” is completely grammatically correct, despite a widespread myth to the contrary. While some people were taught in school that beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction is an error, Aristotle actually addressed the importance of “correctness” (or hellenismos) in his workRhetoric, focusing on clarity and appropriate style, rather than the use of rigid, or arbitrary rules.
When we use language in an arbitrary manner, we find confusion. Hunters and Trappers and Ranchers that, for example, over-kill Wildlife in America, and add to the problem for our Natural Habitats, in particular in Wilderness Areas, and is without a doubt outright-destructive. Through this misuse of terminology, we find hatred and severe animosity toward those who do not assume, nor, believe for one second, that Hunters and Trappers or Ranchers are Conservationists.
Too much evidence to show us conflicts in the term exists. Distractions arise, and soon we discover innuendo, and lies that develop into just how obscure the term “Conservation” has become, or how menial, and has developed into a “distraction” rather than something helpful to our standards of Natural Resources and Wilderness Management Paradigms. Time is wasted on attempts to adapt, confusion toward the term explodes, and the debate then become not of “Conservation” but what we have to sacrifice for Hunters, Trappers, and Ranchers (using our Public Lands for more definable terminology) to even exist. We can also, reasonably I might add, and knowledgeably, combine this with the Wild Horse Conflict – same reasoning, same altercation in meaning, and similar sacrifices, merely cloaked as Over-Population Fears, or extended lies of destruction done by Wolves and/or Wild Horses.
The fact is, terminology and how we adjust it, especially when speaking about our Wildlife and how it conflicts with industry, or creates this supposed Rural – Urban Divide, panders to nothing more than mis-use of terminology, brought about by fear, yes, but also by many outright lies. The lies expansive. The extensive fabrication and exaggeration of how destructive Wild Horses and Wolves are, when compared to the truth about how destructive Ranching, Hunting, and Trapping really are, in reality, currently.” — John Cox, M.A. C/M
“We live in a period, of communication, when “Branding”, or the concept of a “Commercialized Identity”, is used dishonestly. But how does it affect us, since we are within the categorical framework of “The General Public.” We are manipulated daily by the media. It is then, we are referenced as “The General Public”, or becoming nothing more than a statistic – a demographic (i.e. a continued assault upon personal identity, and they are winning — We have to obtain the “Truth” ourselves, yet we accept their version only — $$$$ over humanity).
Evidence? How many times have we seen the politician, or the corporate Administrator, or hunting, trapping, and ranching people state, (as they continue the obvious destruction by them, of our environment and wildlife, Wolves & Wild Horses among others, daily and unnecessarily), or make believe, I should say, it is beneficial and tell us, “It is humane, because it makes the State $-Billions’ of dollars a year, and we feed the World.” Yup, they want us to believe their less than 1% of Public Lands Beef Sales, compared to the overall Commercialized beef industry percentage of 98.7%, yearly in sales, is feeding the World.
Which, their statement is a lie, and after years of feeding the General Public disinformation from all-out propaganda campaigns, laughingly obvious. More troubling is their embellished, statistical pie-charts here, and there, and ultimately the bigger pie-chart; as if the smaller pie-charts less truthful, and the largest pie-chart supposed to be more truthful than all those small, troublesome pie-charts — and their comments, or pie-charts and statistics, never supported with credible evidence.
Communication today has evolved into an agenda of powerful-propaganda-campaigns, disguised as advertising (yet another systematic approach to the individuals identity theft) is all attributes, to sell to the public, not products, directly anyway, but the people or company involved in manufacturing products or services. Obviously, the communication conflict arises when the people, the producer or manufacturer of a product, or, the sport we discuss, are in conflict with Truth.
How does this “truth” become so wayward. How is it we accept toxic chemicals as beneficial, and yet, many more people make fun of those who demand healthier products, and make threats, hatefully, toward those who are asking honest questions about obvious toxic and poison products; or, pointing out skinning an animal, like a Mink while still alive, to be abusive and inhumane?
Or baiting wildlife only to shoot them? Yet, the sport of hunting & trapping is accepted by many, and of course accepted by the family & friends, or else! As those who do not accept it, trouble right around the corner (especially when living in small towns, and social politics in play) they will be disdained, lose friends, and even face brutality, or worse, death? Where does such a gap become reality, and why & how did the truth simply disappear? Should we be concerned about this . . . Much more information available, with evidence, which this above is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.
“The identity of the individual was long ago subsumed by the Spectre of the public.” — Soren Kierkegaard, M.A. Philosophy
We can explore this phenomenon that describes the erosion of selfhood through mass attention. As the boundary between private individual, and the public gaze, dissolves. People become, essentially what they are not, but images of what the public accepts (i.e. often from the latest motion picture, or the current musician or . . .); whereas, some folks take the movie or television program as reality. . .
The same with groups, well, they become the images of a past, whether it be heritage, or myth, or formal disinformation centered around themselves, changing history entirely – Academically, we refer to it as “historical revisionism or historical negationism”. Others simply refer to it as a “deliberate distortion or falsification” of history.
Heavy-Adventure programs, especially westerns, are evidence of how history is changed, in today’s “Escapist Environment.” And nobody the wiser, or even curious, as the dramatic elements of the storyline, soothing at times, or an adventure we would never, in reality, come close to, and yet, there we were taking part, mentally, within it all.
We then become the “Targets” (yup, The General Public), so to speak, of “industrial-commercialization” as well as “Identity-Theft” and “Identity Politics” (as one does not function without the other) for fear of being disliked, or hated, by our group of peers; whereas, the “Product” of the Disinformation (i.e. an altered history of disinformation, or, both assimilated into what they want us to believe, and ultimately the statistics show us — becomes the ultimate truth).
Yes, Advertising, then, becomes a reality. Implications toward several levels of psychology apply here. The fact is, a “truthful” individual has no chance of survival. The General Public is taught, via Propaganda (i.e. Advertising), that what was, in truth, a miscommunicated-rendition of life, yet given to the public to exploit a false rendition of heritage or history, turns into a ‘Truth”. This is where, for some, the “mythologized public images” first seen, often manipulated to sell a product, yes, but subliminally (a vast history of this situation exists) to develop hatred toward those who would disagree. The basis, or premise established, simply for sales-origination, ultimately for high-level incomes.
We can intermix the commercialized versions, and place them into the false-reality category, as well, within a group format – i.e. hunting, trapping, ranching, et al. This is the process where the formation of groups to maintain their dishonest appeal, making what they are doing (skinning animals alive, killing wildlife unnecessarily, slaughtering predators, shooting wild horses, et al.) and making it all appear acceptable; thereby, at times, needed (e.g. the false statements of Population Controls, where the outright falsehood, becomes an acceptable “Truth”).
This becomes the opposition, and the mis-use of terminology takes place – Yet, in good propaganda, our attention is re-directed toward the oppositional challenge; whereas, death becomes a tool — yet, we can disconnect from the reality, and keep our proper-distance where we maintain the thought, it is needed for the betterment of the social-majority = Sacrificed for the good of . . .
1. Harvesting Wildlife rather than use of the term Kill, Murder, or Slaughter; 2. Fallacies when debating or arguing or twisting meanings; 3. Equivocation is using the same word with different meanings; 4. False Equivalency used often today, in politics and hate-speech, draws incorrect parallels between two vastly different situations; 5. False Dilemma is framing an issue with only two extreme options, when indeed, many other possibilities exist; 6. Ignoring Facts and Credible Science & Statistics.
Today we see Destructive Commercialization taking place, forced upon our Public Lands. Those involved wrap themselves in what they refer to as Heritage, or Historical Value (until we research the myth, the lies, and used only to subordinate, disenfranchise the public, or to spread fear).
We no longer even bother ourselves to Evolve with, or alongside Nature. i.e. Ranching, Hunting, Trapping, Corporate Greed, Mining, and other elements of Special Interests, and how they evolved into a status of non-compliance, many seem to avoid, or do not care enough to be concerned – as the destruction out of site, because the commercialized news only generates news of dramatic forms – to sell products, in accord with the Demographics from the General Public. Neglect of Regulatory Measures to safeguard the General Public, simply does not exist.
What is troubling to many one week, is forgotten by the next week, if no form of updates given on a regular basis — What the News is supposed to give us, but do not do so.
This statement, “The identity of the individual was long ago subsumed by the Spectre of the public.” — Soren Kierkegaard, M.A. Philosophy, captures how the privatization of experience and the policing of digital or institutional conformity often eclipse personal heritage. It reflects modern struggles with hyper-visibility, where unique, lived realities are swallowed by broad, performative public personas or a “cancel” culture.
This concept touches on how a person’s authentic inner self is often eclipsed by the expectations and scrutiny of society. When an individual becomes a public figure or spectacle, or a Group becomes extremely large (monetarily wholesome, and pays vast advertising dollars), their private life gets replaced by a societal “Spectre”—a constructed identity that is consumed and defined by the masses rather than the person themselves.
When a group runs into a problematic negative feedback, from their situations, i.e. Pro-Slaughter Groups or Experimental Pesticide Groups experimenting on our Nation’s Wild Horses with toxic chemicals while calling it “fertilization control”, and it becomes obviously a lie — they simply change the name of the Group. A new form of proaghanda / advertising takes place.
This dynamic is widely explored across literature, history, and psychoanalysis. We indulge ourselves into the realms of escape, but do not provide room for Our Endeavors beyond personal satisfaction, comfort, of what we can do comfortably, and without much thought or effort, at times. To many, Nature and wildlife exist only within a zoo, or the local park, and when wanting to feel really wild, perhaps walk the dog near at dog park.
Many assume keeping the squirrels out of their hot dogs, or the Raccoons out of the Vienna Sausage cans, they just opened and set near the picnic table, to be enough inter-action with wildlife for the next few months. And killing Deer, or Bear, or Cougar, when they see it on a television program, and advertised as a Manly Adventure, becomes their reality of Nature, and Man’s quest to Survive the Elements – after all, it is presented within a dramatic outline! A storyline, displaced by adventure and intensity from the drama, the music, all building to its crescendo, and to the ultimate-needed needed commercial.
Now we are looking at AI! It is devastating our landscapes, and only a few more healthy landscapes exists. Soon, if allowed to build more, our landscape will be denuded of water, forests, and wildlife in total.
This is not a story in the movies or on television. It is Reality. Are we really prepared for a future of more and more lies, faked-heritage as well as faked-history, as a tool for Wilderness and Wildlife Management? “ — John Cox, M.A. C/M
