I tend to think that labels and rhetorically eloquent phrases are an ineffective trick of rhetoric that allows individuals (and, perhaps, particulary politicians) to avoid expressing real thoughts.  Take, for instance, the term “stimulus spending.”  At face value, these words imply two things: first, that there is actual money being spent, and that by spending this ‘money,’ the economy will be moved forward toward productivity.  In actuality, inflationary dollars do not contribute to the wealth of a country, but rather create debt for it, and, the spending of this ‘money’ merely distorts real market values.  A simple deconstruction of this phrase renders it nearly meaningless.  An article in The Telegraph said it well, “The dangerous whiff of protectionism is in the air – in the United State,  in China, in Europe – and if it takes hold, our future is indeed bleak.”  Also, Don Boudreaux’s recent blog post makes some excellent points about the Keynesian theory that is the driving force behind this perspective. Back to rhetorically unhelpful labels.  In the words of Lawrence Reed, “If labels inform, then they can be useful.  But when they confuse or distort, they’re worse than useless.”  It is important to look for the meaning behind words, rather than accepting what may be distortative language or ambigous labeling. Take, for example, former President Bush.  He describes himself as free-market, but his policy was not consistently so (take, for example, The American Dream Downpayment Act and what he said about it). Policy either moves toward a freer market, or it doesn’t.  Also take this rhetorical gem from President Obama’s inaugural address, “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works.”  That sounds really great, and no one that I know of is going to take issue with his goal of a ‘working government,’ but when it comes down to it, what is he proposing, a medium-sized government?  At the end of the day, the question that should be asked is: but what does that actually mean?