Topic: Lexicon

Yamiche Alcindor of PBS NewsHour is criticized for claiming that "undocumented immigrants do not commit more crimes than American citizens." The hosts argue this is a logical fallacy because the act of being an undocumented immigrant is itself a crime. They discuss the shift in media lexicon from "illegal alien" to "undocumented immigrant" as a way to manipulate public perception.

The hosts pause to discuss the recent proliferation of the word "conflate" in American media and public discourse. They observe that the term has been adopted by both news anchors and the general public over the last two years. The conversation shifts to how social trends like "bullying" have evolved into the current focus on "hate crimes" and the potential impact on First Amendment rights.

President Obama's use of the word "extremist" instead of "terrorist" is identified as a significant shift in political language. The hosts argue this new lexicon is designed to broaden the definition of threats to include anyone outside the "perceived political center." They link this to the marginalization of alternative media figures like Alex Jones.

The conversation shifts to the influence of pharmaceutical shills in online medical forums and the changing language of healthcare. The term "provider" is analyzed as a way to replace doctors with less expensive nurse practitioners. An anecdote describes a doctor prescribing Valium and Vicodin as a routine part of a diagnostic procedure, illustrating the normalization of heavy medication.