Words I Hate: Job Creator
For years I have railed against particularly deceptive, misleading, euphemistic words and so I’m going to start an occasional series of blogs dealing with these words.
JOB CREATOR
Tom Steyer, the multi-billionaire vanity candidate for president who built his wealth as a hedge fund manager, has assaulted us with a barrage of TV and radio ads. He brags: “I started a tiny investment business and, over 27 years, grew it successfully to 36 billion dollars.” His argument is that he is a superior capitalist pig to tRump. With no governmental experience whatsoever, he brags that as a “job creator,” he is capable of running the world. His campaign has spent $17 million on ads so far.
What does it mean to be a job creator? McDonalds and Walmart and other minimum wage companies – they’re all job creators. They’re also union haters, do not pay a living wage to their employees, and in most cases offer no benefits. I don’t know how many or what type of jobs this Steyer “created” – these hedge funders usually just buy, ransack, and then sell companies. But what he really means is that he managed to exploit the labor of enough people to make him so rich that he can attempt to spend his way into the position of president of the USA. As a “job creator” he wants to create that one additional job – for himself.
Don't forget they often expose the underpaid workers to substantial risks to their health and well being.
Posted by: Trude Bennett | 27 December 2019 at 22:24
OK, Sue. Here's another word I've grown to hate: curated. Once upon a time a curator was simply a person who helped to identify and shape displays of artwork. Now we have people who are 'curating' movies, menus, drinks 'programs', etc. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Have you, too, come upon this expanded (and ill-advised) usage of the word?
Posted by: SUE C KELMAN | 30 December 2019 at 10:00
Oh, that hasn't been on my list, but of course it should be. But you've covered it here - and thank you!
Posted by: Sue Katz | 30 December 2019 at 10:09