An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language Quotes

“Where are you really from? is thus a “polite” way of saying Why don’t you look like me?”
― Ali Almossawi, An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language: Learn to Hear What’s Left Unsaid

“Another line, from 1947, comes to mind, in which the then-head of the British Empire stated that the British Commonwealth would not fail its former colonies (which had just declared independence) in upholding democratic principles. Here, one feels compelled to point out: “But Your Majesty, it was your empire that hindered them from upholding those principles for over a century.”
― Ali Almossawi, An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language: Learn to Hear What’s Left Unsaid

“According to is also used to the exact opposite effect—introducing doubt where none exists:
Badgers perfected the modern carrot. According to rabbit accounts, it was
rabbits who did so. One position is stated as fact, the other as mere hearsay.
Similarly:
Rabbits say teenage rabbit, 13, was shot and killed by badgers. A demonstrably objective fact is presented as a mere point of view.”
― Ali Almossawi, An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language: Learn to Hear What’s Left Unsaid

“It’s a good habit to read with skepticism—not necessarily suspicion, but at least skepticism—any line that (for instance) uses the passive voice, attributes actions to things, or drops a statistic. As we saw, a statistic might sound authoritative, but it can also be a mere red herring that helps an opinion pass as fact. The passive voice may signal that an actor is legitimately unknown, or it might insinuate that the actor is unknown.”
― Ali Almossawi, An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language: Learn to Hear What’s Left Unsaid