Free Government Programs

I don't normally gripe about politics online. I don't find it useful to scream my views of perceived injustice into the virtual ocean of the techno-sphere. When it comes to language and the way it influences our thinking, I find that I have to take a position. This blog is, after all, an exploration into writing, and I suppose more generally communicating.

So today I will make a request of the universe. It is simply that we all please stop using the word "free" when referring to anything related to any government program of any kind (e.g. the "Tuition-Free NY Excelsior Scholarship", "Free health care for the needy", "Free school lunches"). What does "Free" mean?

In most (maybe all) cases it would be most appropriate to replace the word "free" (which is used much too freely) with the words "taxpayer-funded". So instead of it being "tuition-free", we would say "taxpayer-funded tuition". "Free healthcare" becomes "taxpayer-funded healthcare". "Free School lunch programs" become "Taxpayer-funded school lunch programs".

Please understand (if you've bothered to get this far) that I am neither discouraging nor advocating the practice of taxpayer-funded programs here. That has to be done on an individual, program by program basis. Many tax-payer funded programs are critically important, helpful, appropriate and necessary. Some are wasteful, ineffective or maybe even counterproductive. In all cases though, the word "free" is, at least, misleading. It never, so far as I am aware, applies to government programs. "Free" relieves everyone of any responsibility for the cost and makes having a rational conversation about the cost and benefits of a program nearly impossible.

Of course, I completely understand why the word "free" is used if it is used intentionally. The marketing impact of this word has been studied for decades. It's used to predispose the listener to a particular point of view before a discussion starts. In today's vernacular, I suppose it would be called a program naming "hack". It's a way to cheat an inattentive listener (which it seems most people are these days) into a positive mindset. Everyone wants "free" things and sees no issue with others getting "free" things as long as the "free" things are available to everyone or, if not everyone at least me. In my way of thinking, that dubious use of language is not right. It is past time to return truth, accuracy, and precision to our discussions. This begins with paying attention to and correcting our use of terminology.

"If thought corrupts language, then language can also corrupt thought" - George Orwell