CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

Why “Communism” and “Hot” Mean More Than They Say

Photo by Richard Vanlerberghe

In The Tyranny of Words, Stuart Chase warned that words do more than describe reality—they carry ways of seeing the world. Some point to facts. Others evoke entire worldviews. Either way, words often carry an implied explanation of why things are the way they are. “It’s very hot” is an observation. Ask why it’s hot, however, and you’ve entered a political argument about climate change, economics, responsibility, and ideology. By contrast, when President Trump declared, “Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” in his recent speech at Mt. Rushmore, he wasn’t presenting evidence but invoking identity. The words communism, life, liberty, and happiness arrive already burdened with history and moral judgment.

Why does “hot” invite debate only when we ask why, while “communism” arrives with the answer already built in?

The answer lies in the stories words carry. Narratives do more than assign meaning—they explain whythings happen. They tell us what causes what, who is responsible, who deserves blame, and what should be done next. Whether the subject is climate or communism, the fiercest debates are rarely about facts or observations. They are about explanations.

Political arguments are, at their core, arguments about cause and effect. But causal stories change. For centuries, disease was blamed on poisonous “bad air.” Germ theory overturned that explanation. The words miasma and germ described two entirely different stories about what causes disease.

Science tests explanations. Politics often assumes........

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