Imagine trying to educate children on helping create a better world. Would you use doublespeak to do so? Let’s consider an example.

Good morning class. We’re going to be talking today about diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s a phrase that has three parts. Let’s look at each one shall we?

Diversity is about is all being different. Is the person next to you exactly the same as you? Find some differences. Some of those differences might be more important than others.

Equity is about fairness. Would it be fair to have the tallest person standing at the front and the shortest person standing at the back of class when we’re all trying to watch something?

Inclusion is about making our classroom feel like you all belong. Imagine if some of your differences to other people made you feel like you didn’t belong in our class community. How would that be?

Now class, does that make sense to you all? Good.

There is an organisation called the United Nations. It’s where the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems and find shared solutions. The United Nations adopted what they call Sustainable Development Goals. These are “a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity”. They support diversity, equity and inclusion.

Now, before we continue, I just want to be clear. We shouldn’t support diversity, equity and inclusion. Oh, you are looking confused. Well let me clarify. We must support eliminating all forms of discrimination and create equal opportunities for all. That’s why we don’t support diversity, equity and inclusion. Is that clearer class?

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Of course it’s not clear. It is what has come to be understood as ‘doublespeak’ – something that came out of George Orwell’s novel called ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’. George Orwell observed that political language often serves to distort and obscure reality.

A hand goes up in the class. “Are you trying to confuse us then?” Indeed children, that is exactly the point.

Let me explain to you class what education is all about. In fact, I’m going to quote from a speech at the United Nations General Assembley three days ago. The representative from the United States said that developing educational policies to counter mis or disinformation is essentially a call for educators to censor viewpoints they deem unpopular or inconvenient. Our schools should instead be bastions of free speech.”

Well children, I hope all that is clear. Perhaps you can go home and explain this to your parents too. That would help.

Class dismissed.

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Why not have a read yourselves of the ‘Remarks at the General Assembly: 58th plenary meeting, 79th session’. If you do, let me know whether the remarks made sense to you or felt like doublespeak.

And to finish, another extract: “Agenda 2030 and the SDGs advance a program of soft global governance that is inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty and adverse to the rights and interests of Americans”.