Another excerpt from The Rape of the Mind, by Joost Meerlo:
The formulating of big propagandistic lies and fraudulent catchwords has a very well-defined purpose in [totalitarian societies], and words themselves have acquired a special function in the service of power, which we may call verbocracy. The Big Lie and the phoney slogan at first confuse and then dull the hearers, making them willing to accept every suggested myth of happiness. The task of the totalitarian propagandist is to build special pictures in the minds of the citizenry so that finally they will no longer see and hear with their own eyes and ears but will look at the world through the fog of official catchwords and will develop the automatic responses appropriate to totalitarian mythology.
Recent examples:
“Safe and effective”
“Your mask protects me. My mask protects you.”
“Two weeks to flatten the curve.”
“Anti-vaxxers”
“Conspiracy theorists”
“The greater good”
“Elections and/or free speech are a danger to our democracy”
“Democracy”