What's wrong with labeling a phobia a phobia?

John Savage has another interesting post up concerning why he finds the "phobia" label to be undesirable. John lists three specific reasons for which he believes use of the label to be mis-applied whether coming from liberals or from conservatives...

I agree with John's premises in general, and particularly where he denominates phobias (specifically 'albophobia') to be "irrational" fears. If phobias are irrational fears by definition, then fears or apprehensions that have no rational basis are properly described as "phobias." Whereas, fears and apprehensions which do have a rational basis are not properly defined as phobias, as the term fear or apprehension would suffice.

I don't have a problem per se with the phobia label as long as it is properly applied to folks who exhibit the characteristics of the term's genuine meaning. I do, however, have a problem with people irrational enough to believe Islam and homosexuality, as a couple of fine examples, present us with no dangers to our way of life. Who then turn around and apply the "phobia" label to our "condition." This is an irrational belief in the supposed non-threatening nature of Islam and homosexuality respectively; it is an irrational belief that rational conservative apprehensions about Islam and homosexuality are completely unfounded. It is, to my way of thinking, a phobia unto itself. Namely, "truthophobia," defined: an irrational fear of truth and truth sources; an extreme consuming form of fear which prefers falsehood to truth in order to maintain its dominance over the mind of man.

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