I’ve sometimes wondered how many people can be fooled into supporting a bill or policy simply because it has a cute name. You know, like “Patriot Act,” “Clear Skies,” “We Love Children Act,” or whatever. I suspected that such marketing might have some sway on those who don’t follow the particular issue. After all, what uninformed person wouldn’t support whatever noble objective a catchy title claimed said law would achieve?
Apparently, it’s not just Joe Blow on the street who can thus be tricked by a bill’s name. Last weekend on Tim Russert Thomas Friedman admitted (boasted?) that he would support a proposal simply because it was entitled a “free trade” agreement. That’s right: forget what a pact says (or doesn’t say) regarding labor, the environment, or security; as long as its proponents use the magic words “free trade,” our supposed guru on economics and world trade is on board.
It’s remarkable what can learn from world-class big journalism.