Monday 5 October 2015

Word of the Day No. 8

Liberalism.

Noun.

Definition: The condition that afflicts those who go uninvited to a house on the other side of a city where a domestic squabble is going on, break in, kill half the family, drive out the rest, burn down the building...and then condemn those who say this should not have been done as “supporters of domestic violence”.

Synonyms: Hypocrisy, intolerance, bloodlust, White Man’s Burden, imperialism, Responsibility to Protect.

Etymology: No longer matters. The word has been perverted out of all recognition from its original meaning.


Example: “So you went to Somewhereistan because its laws didn’t allow nude beaches, bombed the country to smithereens, handed it over to jihadi cannibal headhunters, and now you accuse me of oppressing women? What a prime example of liberalism.”



1 comment:

  1. You speak here of American (USA) liberals; different countries have them and they stand for different things.

    I think the etymology does matter. You are right, it's been perverted all out of recognition. At one time liberals understood that to be a liberal was to stand up for social justice not only at home, but also around the world. Liberals understood the evil that the US did in Central and South America (Allende, e.g.), they were appalled by regime changes in Africa and Asia whether carried out through bombing or covert actions. When did we lose our way? I don't know exactly. When we bought into Bill Clinton's lies? Maybe.

    I have a friend who calls herself a liberal. But in the past few years, when I have talked to her about Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria (especially Syria) she says that she does not know what is going on there and "trusts the President". She didn't trust the Bushes, barely trusted Clinton, but she trusts Obama. Obama is not a Liberal. But he is for gay rights, gun control (in the US) and, breast cancer awareness. (sigh) As far as western Asia, well, "those people have been fighting there for so long I doesn't know what to think. Maybe Hillary will figure it out. It's time we had a woman president anyway." I weep.

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