Political Jargon, Slang and Phrases (1 Viewer)

[Dadsdream]

Thread merge placeholder. See boondoggle on Page 3 of this thread.

 

[brandon]

Social Justice Warrior/Crusader
(noun)

Example: John, the board's social justice warrior, found the picture of the Indian maiden on the butter package to be a repulsive expression of white supremacy with sexual overtones.

Social justice warrior is an often mocking term for one who is seen as overly progressive or left-wing. It's often abbreviated as SJW.

Social Justice Warrior

An often mocking term for one who is seen as overly progressive

www.merriam-webster.com

Justice crusaders are often found debating about political and social issues regarding inequality. Many tend to find racist, sexist, or other discriminatory intentions in places that did not originally intend to offend anyone by any means. They also commonly exaggerate the offense or take certain statements a bit too seriously. Unless you are also a justice crusader, most people find justice crusaders annoying.

A number of them are also very hypocritical. Justice crusaders are usually members of a minority, and they tend to target and criticize white people for their "white privilege" or "inability to understand." They do not realize that this in itself is discrimination; for they judge white people harder than other races and cultures. If you tell them this though, they will probably deny it; they defend themselves quickly and are usually angered easily. Trying to talk sense into them is difficult.

Urban Dictionary: Justice Crusader

A rights activist that strongly believes in equality and fairness. They generally fight issues regarding discrimination against a specific race, gender, or sexuality. Justice crusaders are often found debating about political and social issues regarding inequality. Many tend to find racist...

www.urbandictionary.com

Do you find it interesting that you were able to find Social Justice Warrior in the dictionary, but could only find Justice Crusader in the Urban Dictionary?

Edit: as it turn out, neither of these terms are in the dictionary. They’re both just terms you’ll find in those right-wing extremist sites we know you don’t visit.

 

[Dadsdream]

Do you find it interesting that you were able to find Social Justice Warrior in the dictionary, but could only find Justice Crusader in the Urban Dictionary?

Edit: as it turn out, neither of these terms are in the dictionary. They’re both just terms you’ll find in those right-wing extremist sites we know you don’t visit.

Since this is a thread about political jargon, slang, phrases, there is no requirement for terms to appear as formally adopted in a dictionary.

As as far as "social justice crusader" and/or "social justice warrior" or the abbreviation SJW being associated with right-wing extremist sites, that's one interpretation that seems popular at the moment.

But, etymology (the study of the origin of words) tells us that the "social justice crusader" and/or "social justice warrior" and the abbreviation SJW were created and used by the very people they describe as far back as the 1990s. Twenty years would pass before these these self-descriptions were picked up and used by critics as negative or derogatory.

EDIT: Wikipedia says, In August 2015, social justice warrior was one of several new words and phrases added to Oxford Dictionaries.

 

[V Chip]

obfuscate
[ ob-fuh-skeyt, ob-fuhs-keyt ]SHOW IPA
SEE SYNONYMS FOR obfuscate ON THESAURUS.COM
verb (used with object), ob·fus·cat·ed,ob·fus·cat·ing.

1. to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy.
2. to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information.
3. to darken.

Some posters of political opinions use obfuscation to try and seem full of wisdom but instead cloud the issue(s) by not actually addressing the point.

 

[V Chip]

dog whistle
[ dawg-hwis-uh l, -wis-, dog- ]SHOW IPA
noun
Politics. a political strategy, statement, slogan, etc., that conveys a controversial, secondary message understood only by those who support the message: His criticism of welfare was a dog whistle appealing to racist voters.

An example of dog-whistles is the famous interview in 1981 by Republican strategist Lee Atwater, explaining the Southern Strategy used to attract southern whites:

“You start out in 1954 by saying, “[n-word], [n-word], [n-word].” By 1968 you can’t say “[n-word]”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “[n-word], [n-word].””

 

[Dadsdream]

dog whistle
[ dawg-hwis-uh l, -wis-, dog- ]SHOW IPA
noun
Politics. a political strategy, statement, slogan, etc., that conveys a controversial, secondary message understood only by those who support the message: His criticism of welfare was a dog whistle appealing to racist voters.

An example of dog-whistles is the famous interview in 1981 by Republican strategist Lee Atwater, explaining the Southern Strategy used to attract southern whites:

“You start out in 1954 by saying, “[n-word], [n-word], [n-word].” By 1968 you can’t say “[n-word]”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “[n-word], [n-word].””

Hi V Chip,

We did "dog whistle" back on Page 2, but your take has a different tone and timbre. Here's the original:

Recently added to Mirriam-Webster, today's term is a modern expression of an older term that's been around for over 200 years.

Example:
If you want to cast him as just a nativist, his slogan "Make America Great Again" can be read as a dog-whistle to some whiter and more Anglo-Saxon past.
—Ross Douthat, The New York Times, 10 August 2015

What's the Political Meaning of 'Dog Whistle'?
A message only some can hear

Update: This word was added in April 2017.

Figuratively, a 'dog whistle' is a coded message communicated through words or phrases commonly understood by a particular group of people, but not by others.

Yet there's another dog whistle we've been hearing about lately: a coded message communicated through words or phrases commonly understood by a particular group of people, but not by others.

Given that the term dog whistle has been around for over 200 years, it seems odd that it only developed a figurative sense recently. After all, it’s the perfect word to use to describe something that some people can hear, but others cannot. Yet it is only within the past 20 years or so that it has seen this figurative sense take hold. And it is primarily used to describe political speech.

 

[V Chip]

Hi V Chip,

We did "dog whistle" back on Page 2, but your take has a different tone and timbre. Here's the original:

Differences are good!

 

[Dadsdream]

entrapment
(noun)

Example: ""The FBI's style of investigation in this case constitutes entrapment."

Definition: The action of tricking someone into committing a crime in order to secure their prosecution.

Definition of ENTRAPMENT

the action or process of entrapping; the condition of being entrapped; the action of luring an individual into committing a crime in order to prosecute the person for it… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

In today's news.
FBI notes regarding Gen. Flynn: "What is our goal? Truth/admission or to ... get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?"

Attorneys For Michael Flynn Say Newly Unsealed Documents Prove FBI Entrapment

The emails and handwritten notes show that in early 2017, FBI officials debated whether to show the national security adviser their evidence against him or withhold it and get him to lie.

www.npr.org

 

[brandon]

Hi V Chip,

We did "dog whistle" back on Page 2, but your take has a different tone and timbre. Here's the original:

Recently added to Mirriam-Webster, today's term is a modern expression of an older term that's been around for over 200 years.

Example:
If you want to cast him as just a nativist, his slogan "Make America Great Again" can be read as a dog-whistle to some whiter and more Anglo-Saxon past.
—Ross Douthat, The New York Times, 10 August 2015

What's the Political Meaning of 'Dog Whistle'?
A message only some can hear

Update: This word was added in April 2017.

Figuratively, a 'dog whistle' is a coded message communicated through words or phrases commonly understood by a particular group of people, but not by others.

Yet there's another dog whistle we've been hearing about lately: a coded message communicated through words or phrases commonly understood by a particular group of people, but not by others.

Given that the term dog whistle has been around for over 200 years, it seems odd that it only developed a figurative sense recently. After all, it’s the perfect word to use to describe something that some people can hear, but others cannot. Yet it is only within the past 20 years or so that it has seen this figurative sense take hold. And it is primarily used to describe political speech.

It’s like you didn’t even read the entry for obfuscation.

 

[Dadsdream]

It’s like you didn’t even read the entry for obfuscation.

Oh I read it. Had I responded In kind, my response would have been replete with similar quotes from prominent Democrats from the early to mid 20th Century, but I didn't want to derail the thread any further.

Not every thread on every board has to be about racism, although that seems to be the apparent goal here with some folks.

 

[brandon]

Oh I read it. Had I responded In kind, my response would have been replete with similar quotes from prominent Democrats from the early to mid 20th Century, but I didn't want to derail the thread any further.

Not every thread on every board has to be about racism, although that seems to be the apparent goal here with some folks.

Let’s not pretend this whole thread is anything but a passive-aggressive derail of your PM inbox.

 

[Dadsdream]

Let’s not pretend this whole thread is anything but a passive-aggressive derail of your PM inbox.

nattering nabobs of negativism
phrase

"In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H Club — the ‘hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history.'”
Vice President Spiro Agnew, September 11, 1970

While the phrase is generally attributed to Agnew, it was actually written by White House speechwriter William Safire.

Nattering Nabobs of Negativism - Political Dictionary

"Nattering nabobs of negativism" was a phrase used by Vice President Spiro Agnew to refer to the media with whom he had a very acrimonious relationship.

politicaldictionary.com

 

[brandon]

nattering nabobs of negativism
phrase

"In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H Club — the ‘hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history.'”
Vice President Spiro Agnew, September 11, 1970

While the phrase is generally attributed to Agnew, it was actually written by White House speechwriter William Safire.

Nattering Nabobs of Negativism - Political Dictionary

"Nattering nabobs of negativism" was a phrase used by Vice President Spiro Agnew to refer to the media with whom he had a very acrimonious relationship.

politicaldictionary.com

After two weeks, I thought I had successfully ended this nonsense.

I have to remember not to underestimate your pettiness.

 

[samiam5211]

I would like Mueller to conduct an investigation to determine if there was collusion between DD and Chanel Rion in the creation of this thread.

 

[Dadsdream]

Collusion
noun

Example: The harrowing event was carried out in collusion with organized crime, with the Mexican government claiming that the police thought the students were members of a drug gang.

A secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose

Definition of COLLUSION

secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

"It's not a technical word. It's actually used, in part, to actually almost confuse people." - Michael Gerhardt

A non-legal term that refers to secret collaboration or conspiracy. But in U.S. code, it’s only used in antitrust laws to address crimes like price fixing.

Conspiracy happens when two or more people agree to commit a crime “against the United States or to defraud the United States” and start to take steps toward it, according to 18 U.S. Code 371. People can still be charged with conspiracy, even if they don’t actually commit a crime, as long as there is proof they intended to carry out the illegal activity.

The statute specifically states conspiracy relates to "impairing, obstructing or defeating the lawful function of any department of government."

What is 'collusion,' and is it a crime? Russia investigation’s buzzword explained

The most frequently used term surrounding the Russia investigation has often left many scratching their heads: collusion.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Dadsdream]

This expression was preserved thanks to William Safire, legendary Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the New York Times, who published a weekly column about language for four decades. His book, Safire's Political Dictionary is a must for aspiring political journalists.

hail of dead cats
noun

Example:

Definition:

Amazon product ASIN 0195340612

Definition of DEAD CAT

a piece of violent or jeering criticism : an insulting or abusive expression of disapproval… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com