Rethuglicans, Teabaggers, and Fundies, oh MY!

MacAllister

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Guys? I'm seeing a resurgence of usage of deliberately-insulting diminutives like "teabagger" and "rethuglican" here. Stop it. Seriously.

Don't. Do. It.
Not here.


I know many of you are newish, and clearly consider yourself Too Kewl to actually read the Newbies Guide and the assorted stickies for this room -- I really don't care. I'm going to start bouncing people for behaving like assholes. You damn well can behave like civilized and rational adults, or you can go post your regurgitated talking points somewhere else.
 
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Don

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Bravo, mac. It's easy not to see the bigotry in words when they appeal to our own particular bias.
 

Maryn

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[Maryn's pupils dilate with her fondness for Mac. No, really.]
 

ChronicSelfEditor

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This is why I generally avoid talking about politics. And religion. And a whole host of other things because they inevitably lead back to either of those two. Which makes me wonder how I have friends and if I'll ever make any here.
 

robeiae

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I don't agree. You can get a primer on the matter here.
Are you actually serious? I can't tell.

If you are, then no, that doesn't change anything. "Commie" is also used as a pejorative in a similar fashion, as is "fascist" and "nazi." "Conservative" can be, too.

But in none of those case are the terms designed to be insulting, all on their own. They all refer to political views/ideologies. Not true of the three terms Mac noted.
 

SPMiller

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"Commie" is also used as a pejorative in a similar fashion, as is "fascist" and "nazi."
Yeah, I'm serious, and I agree with this part of your post. I refrain from calling anyone a Commie/Communist/communist, fascist, or Nazi in a derogatory context. It's not fair and not honest--unless, of course, the person in question happens to be, say, Hitler, Lenin, or Mussolini.

And what's the official ruling on Republicrat?
 

robeiae

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Well, I don't call people commies or fascists in ernest, either. Neither do I call them fundies or teabaggers.

But I do refer to people as liberals, conservatives, progressives, and a host of other ideologically-oriented terms.

I could refer to them as commies or fascists, when this was consistent with their opinions/actions/views, I guess. But the former is definitely an insult first and the later is hard to pin down. But communist? Why not?

Regardless, if I talk about "fundies" or "teabaggers," the mocking/insulting is primary, I think. Any political meaning is secondary, at best.

That's Mac's thinking, I think. But you'll have to ask her, I guess.
 

SPMiller

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Well, I don't call people commies or fascists in ernest, either. Neither do I call them fundies or teabaggers.

But I do refer to people as liberals, conservatives, progressives, and a host of other ideologically-oriented terms.

I could refer to them as commies or fascists, when this was consistent with their opinions/actions/views, I guess. But the former is definitely an insult first and the later is hard to pin down. But communist? Why not?

Regardless, if I talk about "fundies" or "teabaggers," the mocking/insulting is primary, I think. Any political meaning is secondary, at best.
I think a lot of words can be semantically innocent yet pragmatically derogatory. I just want to make sure we state the rule in a clear, systemic manner.

That's Mac's thinking, I think. But you'll have to ask her, I guess.
Which is what I did, isn't it?

I think that's okay, still.
Why?
 

Vince524

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Somehow, I think this is stsrting to take a turn in a direction that Mac did not wich it to. I could be wrong.

Long and short of it people, don't name call.

Thank you, please don't applaud, just throw money.
 

robeiae

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I think a lot of words can be semantically innocent yet pragmatically derogatory. I just want to make sure we state the rule in a clear, systemic manner.
I think it's pretty clear.

Which is what I did, isn't it?
Well, I'm trying to be helpful, as is my wont. I've explained as best as I can, based on the discussion beyond the scenes. But that's clearly not good enough for you, so I kinda gave up and passed off to Mac.
 

SPMiller

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I think it's pretty clear.
Again, not sure I agree, as evidenced by your failure to agree with my claim that certain words can be used as insults.

Well, I'm trying to be helpful, as is my wont. I've explained as best as I can, based on the discussion beyond the scenes. But that's clearly not good enough for you, so I kinda gave up and passed off to Mac.
Thanks for trying. This rule doesn't apply to anything I post, so far as I can tell, but I'd like elaboration on "deliberately-insulting diminutives" and how that differs from the more general RYFW that seems to already cover the matter.
 

MacAllister

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No worries.

Republicrat looks a lot more like a deliberate portmanteau to convey a specific new meaning - not partisan playground name-calling. Linguistically speaking, then, it's functioning on a different level than "Rethuglican".

Likewise, socialist, liberal, conservative, etc. are specific labels that convey existing world views, not made-up words designed specifically for the function of mockery.
 

whacko

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But in none of those case are the terms designed to be insulting, all on their own.

As it's pantomime season, oh yes they are.

Ken Livingstone, when Mayor of London, once called a journalist a Nazi. Well, that's disingenuous, he called him a Nazi prison guard. But the stress was on the Nazi.

Since the journo was a Jew, this was rather offensive.

It's all a matter of context and perspective. Some idiots are proud to be Nazis/Communists/Whatever. Socialists maybe.:evil

So, whether you agree with them or not, will dictate how you describe them - in contempt, or the opposite.

Regards
 

Maryn

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I can still call myself a grammar Nazi, though, right? But rob can't call me that. :tongue

Maryn, who makes sure the stick she pokes rob with is never sharp
 

backslashbaby

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Oooh, I've written commie a lot. But I was either kidding (referring to US views during the Cold War) or just too lazy to write out Communist (when I talk about Hungary, often).

I really just mean Communist because they call themselves Communist :) Sorry!



Is democrate supposed to mean something, btw? I haven't figured that out yet.
 

MacAllister

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Speaking as the resident P&CE early marxist, I don't take offense if someone calls me a communist. It's simply accurate, as far as I'm concerned.

There are key linguistic differences in language designed to insult, and in words that carry very different personal meanings -- "feminazi" is one of the terms I know we've discussed here at some length, in the past.

So while someone saying something like "This XYZ legislation serves the ongoing progressive agenda hell-bent on destroying this country" might hold nothing but scorn for the label "progressive" there's nothing inherent in the word itself that's designed for the purpose of insult. On the other hand, "The Texas Board of Education's so-called 'reforms' demonstrate that the fundies have taken over American education and won't be happy until they completely gut science and Rationalism in this country" is using a diminutive of "fundamentalist Christian" that's pretty clearly designed to be scornful and dismissive, in its very coinage.

See the difference? Liberal is fine. Lib-tard, not so much.
 
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whacko

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might hold nothing but scorn for the label "progressive" there's nothing inherent in the word itself that's designed for the purpose of insult.

Progressive = Genesis, Yes, Camel - Great Music
Punk = .................................... - Crap.

All my spiky haired chums give me abuse for my Prog Rock inclinations.