Comments on: Schwarzenegger: “We Have to Come Up With a Sexier Word Than ‘Infrastructure’” (Can You?) http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/ America Under Construction Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:14:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: harlotofthearts.org » Blog Archive » Rhetoric Quote of the Week http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-3459 harlotofthearts.org » Blog Archive » Rhetoric Quote of the Week Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:29:43 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-3459 [...] the Governator: We in California have made a big move forward in that area because the people of California have [...] [...] the Governator: We in California have made a big move forward in that area because the people of California have [...]

]]> By: Paranoia And Sexiness On The Subway » INFRASTRUCTURIST http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-351 Paranoia And Sexiness On The Subway » INFRASTRUCTURIST Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:47:58 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-351 [...] sexy? Well, I don’t agree with Arnold Schwarzenegger that we need to come up with a better word. I like that word. But I think what he means is that the people who know what infrastructure is [...] [...] sexy? Well, I don’t agree with Arnold Schwarzenegger that we need to come up with a better word. I like that word. But I think what he means is that the people who know what infrastructure is [...]

]]> By: Thomas T. Kelly http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-298 Thomas T. Kelly Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:27:59 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-298 Thanks for that comment, Catbus. “Public Works” is what we used to call “infrastructure” before the conservative movement systematically defamed the ethic that our society had responsibilities and that acting through government, people collectively could solve problems besetting everyone. The term “infrastructure” obscures the fact that these facilities benefit everybody and are owned by everyone, and that maintaining and improving these systems is a “public” (i.e. “our own”) responsibility. Thanks for that comment, Catbus. “Public Works” is what we used to call “infrastructure” before the conservative movement systematically defamed the ethic that our society had responsibilities and that acting through government, people collectively could solve problems besetting everyone. The term “infrastructure” obscures the fact that these facilities benefit everybody and are owned by everyone, and that maintaining and improving these systems is a “public” (i.e. “our own”) responsibility.

]]> By: Catbus http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-287 Catbus Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:32:49 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-287 I'm flabbergasted that "the Flow" makes you think of toilets, Alice. I'm sure that's not the first image that would come to most people's minds. Nevertheless, I have to express admiration for Thomas Kelly's matter-of-fact suggestion, "public works." It's not sexy, but neither is it jargony. It's got punch. Its meaning is self-evident. It's an Everyman phrase. I’m flabbergasted that “the Flow” makes you think of toilets, Alice. I’m sure that’s not the first image that would come to most people’s minds.

Nevertheless, I have to express admiration for Thomas Kelly’s matter-of-fact suggestion, “public works.” It’s not sexy, but neither is it jargony. It’s got punch. Its meaning is self-evident. It’s an Everyman phrase.

]]> By: erik http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-278 erik Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:17:28 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-278 In my opinion, this is just an attempt to start a euphemism treadmill to sway public opinion (as all euphemism treadmills do...) away from the reality of the situation to some abstract notion of something else that is (better?) than what infrastructure is. If you really want people to vote for infrastructure spending, hire a marketing firm to come up with some catchy phrase to sum up all the positive outcomes of moving resources (power for your vibrator, or hooker-friendly street design). You could extend this logic of re-naming to all aspects of life to further remove us from our environment and its realities. If we call work play, and play super-fun-time; wouldn't we just be moving everything up one euphemistic notch in our consciousness? What purpose does this serve the general public? The act of naming is critically important to the understanding of things. If something is to be re-named, it should be done to elucidate something. If we created some nomenclature that could empirically summarize the qualities of an object better than we currently do, great. To re-name something to sway public opinion toward or away from it is a fascist maneuver. However noble the cause for re-naming may be, we must always be careful not to glaze over the function of the name. In my opinion, this is just an attempt to start a euphemism treadmill to sway public opinion (as all euphemism treadmills do…) away from the reality of the situation to some abstract notion of something else that is (better?) than what infrastructure is. If you really want people to vote for infrastructure spending, hire a marketing firm to come up with some catchy phrase to sum up all the positive outcomes of moving resources (power for your vibrator, or hooker-friendly street design). You could extend this logic of re-naming to all aspects of life to further remove us from our environment and its realities. If we call work play, and play super-fun-time; wouldn’t we just be moving everything up one euphemistic notch in our consciousness? What purpose does this serve the general public?
The act of naming is critically important to the understanding of things. If something is to be re-named, it should be done to elucidate something. If we created some nomenclature that could empirically summarize the qualities of an object better than we currently do, great. To re-name something to sway public opinion toward or away from it is a fascist maneuver. However noble the cause for re-naming may be, we must always be careful not to glaze over the function of the name.

]]> By: pwg http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-276 pwg Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:38:16 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-276 public goods / public works public goods / public works

]]> By: Alice http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-267 Alice Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:43:59 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-267 Am I the only one who thinks infrastructure IS a sexy word? I am being completely serious here. I think it's very sexy. I'm going to veto "flow" because it connotes toilets. The environmental movement gained sexiness with the terms sustainability and green, so maybe we need to go with terms like solidity and gray. Maybe... Am I the only one who thinks infrastructure IS a sexy word? I am being completely serious here. I think it’s very sexy.

I’m going to veto “flow” because it connotes toilets.

The environmental movement gained sexiness with the terms sustainability and green, so maybe we need to go with terms like solidity and gray. Maybe…

]]> By: Thomas T. Kelly http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-264 Thomas T. Kelly Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:36:55 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-264 That's easy: PUBLIC WORKS. That’s easy: PUBLIC WORKS.

]]> By: Max Berger http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Max Berger Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:48:52 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-256 The crucial aspect of infrastructure that is oft under-appreciated is it's role in shaping communities. Infrastructure is the basis of well-functioning communities, and any new term should highlight how well organized community services create the platform for healthy, happy living. Instead of "infrastructure" perhaps it would be better to refer to "community resources" or "community platforms." That said, right now "infrastructure" is a pretty popular word. Perhaps the reason the word has failed to resonate is simply that people in the media and political words don't use the world with the regularity needed to push it into the public consciousness. More people would know what it meant if it was more commonly used. According to (Republican) pollster Frank Luntz, 84% of Americans support increased investments in "infrastructure" by government. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-luntz23-2009jan23,0,2761866.story The crucial aspect of infrastructure that is oft under-appreciated is it’s role in shaping communities. Infrastructure is the basis of well-functioning communities, and any new term should highlight how well organized community services create the platform for healthy, happy living. Instead of “infrastructure” perhaps it would be better to refer to “community resources” or “community platforms.”

That said, right now “infrastructure” is a pretty popular word. Perhaps the reason the word has failed to resonate is simply that people in the media and political words don’t use the world with the regularity needed to push it into the public consciousness. More people would know what it meant if it was more commonly used. According to (Republican) pollster Frank Luntz, 84% of Americans support increased investments in “infrastructure” by government.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-luntz23-2009jan23,0,2761866.story

]]> By: Catbus http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-253 Catbus Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:45:17 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-253 Er, that should say, "When bridges collapse, the Flow *stops* flowing." Er, that should say, “When bridges collapse, the Flow *stops* flowing.”

]]> By: Catbus http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-252 Catbus Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:44:38 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-252 The Flow. Traffic flow. Energy flow. Water flow. The Flow. Nobody likes it when the Flow gets clogged. When bridges collapse, the Flow starts flowing. When the power grid is overburdened, the Flow of electricity slows to a trickle. When levees collapse, we get drowned by the over-Flow. The Flow. The Flow.

Traffic flow. Energy flow. Water flow.

The Flow.

Nobody likes it when the Flow gets clogged. When bridges collapse, the Flow starts flowing. When the power grid is overburdened, the Flow of electricity slows to a trickle. When levees collapse, we get drowned by the over-Flow.

The Flow.

]]> By: Wes http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-249 Wes Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:00:16 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-249 At any rate, I think the word needs to emphasize that we're creating/enabling a high-mobility, light-weight, low-stress *lifestyle*. Maybe we should go with the tech-influenced idea of a "platform" on which you can "run" a lifestyle. But how to make it "sexy", there's the rub... At any rate, I think the word needs to emphasize that we’re creating/enabling a high-mobility, light-weight, low-stress *lifestyle*.

Maybe we should go with the tech-influenced idea of a “platform” on which you can “run” a lifestyle. But how to make it “sexy”, there’s the rub…

]]> By: Wes http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Wes Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:40:38 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-248 I agree with Dave. Words won't do any good without an image to conjure up, and right now America is so immersed in an auto-centric culture most of us can't even imagine what a different paradigm would look like. So first we need a *visual* ad campaign. From there, I expect the right words would coin themselves rather quickly. I agree with Dave. Words won’t do any good without an image to conjure up, and right now America is so immersed in an auto-centric culture most of us can’t even imagine what a different paradigm would look like. So first we need a *visual* ad campaign. From there, I expect the right words would coin themselves rather quickly.

]]> By: Dave http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-246 Dave Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:31:53 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-246 I've seen this idea pop up a few places lately, it seems. And I think it brings up a bigger issue - that people respond to media. If we want people to be excited about making it easier for them to travel through their everyday spaces, it seems like a great way to do it is to present to them in various forms what it would be like for them after the changes. For instance, a video of someone nicely dressed pedaling calmly on a bicycle through the streets of Portland, with text like "the Portland commute, home to work in 20 minutes, with no traffic jams." I think people tend to feel like it's just some other crazy policy that their politicians are coming up with that has little to no connection to them, and if we bring it to them on a more everyday level, it might have a bigger impact. Maybe we don't need to use the word at all, but simply to convey the idea. I don't know for sure, but it seems like it might work :) I’ve seen this idea pop up a few places lately, it seems. And I think it brings up a bigger issue - that people respond to media. If we want people to be excited about making it easier for them to travel through their everyday spaces, it seems like a great way to do it is to present to them in various forms what it would be like for them after the changes. For instance, a video of someone nicely dressed pedaling calmly on a bicycle through the streets of Portland, with text like “the Portland commute, home to work in 20 minutes, with no traffic jams.” I think people tend to feel like it’s just some other crazy policy that their politicians are coming up with that has little to no connection to them, and if we bring it to them on a more everyday level, it might have a bigger impact. Maybe we don’t need to use the word at all, but simply to convey the idea. I don’t know for sure, but it seems like it might work :)

]]> By: Chris http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/02/26/schwarzenegger-we-have-to-come-up-with-a-sexier-word-than-infrastructure-can-you/comment-page-1/#comment-245 Chris Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:07:03 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=1056#comment-245 I'm terrible at naming things, so I'm just gonna spit out some words, stream-of-consciousness, and let someone else refine them further: Bones, skeleton, foundation, ecosystem, spine...and that's all I got. I’m terrible at naming things, so I’m just gonna spit out some words, stream-of-consciousness, and let someone else refine them further:

Bones, skeleton, foundation, ecosystem, spine…and that’s all I got.

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