When my children ask me about 9/11, I will tell them about how our dipshit, chickenshit president got on camera at the end of that horrible day to let us know that “Freedom has been attacked.” Horseshit! Can I say shit again? These word shields are fascinating to me in this context, and I look forward to you examining them. Personally, I identify with words like “Patriot,” “Chastity,” “Hawk,” though obviously not in the same way that the neos do. I think I’d have a heart attack if I heard Cheney utter the words “spirit animal.” But I would not be surprised if he aimed for a duck and shot a bald eagle.

If you haven’t already, google George Lakoff, Powell Manifesto etc. I’ve been collecting links on this subject for quite a while, but haven’t done any specific searching recently. That talk by Jonathon Haidt on Ted where he misguidedly tried to hold an olive-branch out to conservatives is interesting as well – his conclusions are wrong, but his research is fairly pivotal to understanding things like… why climate-change-denialists when finally beaten, suddenly become zealots for nuclear power. Why lying for “your side” is part of the game.