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What's the most misused term, in your opinion, in popular political discourse? To some degree as it's used in the media, or by politicians pushing an agenda, but more when people are using them in political discussion. This forum is definitely a culprit here, but far from the worst one I have come across.
Fascism gets my vote but it's a close race. I'm reading a CBC article on some scholar calling the whole Mississippi boycott thing undemocratic and in the comments both sides are referring to what they don't like as "fascist." Artists and companies want to boycott the state for a law they want to pass? "That's FASCISM! Don't people believe in freedom of religion any more?" The elected government wants to pass a law which will affect LGBT people among others? "That's FASCISM! Don't people believe in freedom to marry who you want any more?"
I hear this term applied to pretty much anything that is even vaguely authoritarian, or even if it looks authoritarian whether it has anything to do with the government or not. Obama uses an executive order? Fascist. Trump kicks someone out of a rally? Fascist. Someone gets fired for slamming a bottle of vodka while fondling a minor and posting pictures of Facebook? Fascist. A cake shop refuses to make a cake with Jared from Subway eating a rainbow colored swastika in a suggestive manner? Fascist. ID at a liquor store? Fascist. You get the idea. The end result is that anything that infringes on what I think should or should not happen is fascist, and tossed around by a bunch of people who never had the slightest clue what the term meant.
What's your misused term of choice?
Fascism gets my vote but it's a close race. I'm reading a CBC article on some scholar calling the whole Mississippi boycott thing undemocratic and in the comments both sides are referring to what they don't like as "fascist." Artists and companies want to boycott the state for a law they want to pass? "That's FASCISM! Don't people believe in freedom of religion any more?" The elected government wants to pass a law which will affect LGBT people among others? "That's FASCISM! Don't people believe in freedom to marry who you want any more?"
I hear this term applied to pretty much anything that is even vaguely authoritarian, or even if it looks authoritarian whether it has anything to do with the government or not. Obama uses an executive order? Fascist. Trump kicks someone out of a rally? Fascist. Someone gets fired for slamming a bottle of vodka while fondling a minor and posting pictures of Facebook? Fascist. A cake shop refuses to make a cake with Jared from Subway eating a rainbow colored swastika in a suggestive manner? Fascist. ID at a liquor store? Fascist. You get the idea. The end result is that anything that infringes on what I think should or should not happen is fascist, and tossed around by a bunch of people who never had the slightest clue what the term meant.
What's your misused term of choice?
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