No. what Carville and I are saying is rather simple, say what you mean.

It's the slogan itself that is defeatist, not the idea. Most folks will take defund to mean defund, not reform. A slogan of Reform the police in my opinion would be much more popular, much more able to attract supporters, having more people to to recognize the problem and do something about it.

Defund, doing away with funding of the police isn't something most Americans want. Words have meaning. In this case defund the police as you pointed out, doesn't mean defund the police. But reform and make them more responsible for their actions.

So why not say that and have a slogan that implies and means that. Not one that is opposite of the original meaning? The SJW's don't realize how they are hurting their own cause with that slogan since most Americans like their local police and support their local police.

It isn't keeping the status quo, it all about saying what you mean.

I'll add this, I don't think we're holding the right people responsible for the police actions. It's the local officials who hire the police, who train the police, who set and supposedly enforce the rules and regulations the police operate under, who fund the police, who pay their salary, who appoint the police chiefs and approve promotions and much more. Yet, we're giving these elected and appointed officials a free ride. they're in charge, so perhaps it's them who are failing and letting the police run amok in some localities.

It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.