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What is "sanewashing"? English is not my native language and I am having genuine trouble locating the definitions. The top 1 result in google is this very linke

What is "sanewashing"? English is not my native language and I am having genuine trouble locating the definitions. The top 1 result in google is this very linked article.

whatshisface 5y ago
It's a word the author made up. It means, "taking a movement that was originally crazy and attempting to rehabilitate its image by downplaying its origins." I am not sure how useful this idea is as a concept. The Libertarian party had a similar history (its original platform had something to do with keeping leaded gasoline legal...) but it doesn't matter now.
rhaps0dy 5y ago
Read the article, it's explained. The term was coined in r/neoliberal, https://old.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/comments/js84tu/how_did_defund_the_police_stop_meaning_defund_the/ https://old.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/comments/js84tu/how_did_.... The poster there asks the question, what to do when you want to hold a position but you encounter good arguments against it? And then answers it: > I’m arguing you’re going to “sanewash” it. And by that I mean, what you do is go “Well, obviously the arguments that people are obviously making are insane, and not what people actually believe or mean. What you can think of it as is [more reasonable argument or position than people are actually making]”.
derbOac 5y ago
For what it's worth, English is my native language and I was unfamiliar with the term. I couldn't figure out the definition without more context either.
beerandt 5y ago
When outsiders understand what a movement is really about, but it sounds bad, so movement claims that outsiders' (accurate) perspective is wrong. "No sane person would belive %movement_belief%, what we really believe is %moderate-not_insane-image_saving-fake_belief%.
Karawebnetwork 5y ago
It is internet lingo and I would not recommend using it contexts other than describing internet events/drama. Even in that context, I personally would only use it carefully while quoting someone else. It does not create productive conversations as it automatically casts the opposite party as "insane". See also: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2021/02/20/its-time-to-stop-even-casually-misusing-disability-words/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2021/02/20/its-ti...

What is "sanewashing"? English is not my native language and I am having genuine trouble locating the definitions. The top 1 result in google is this very linked article.

whatshisface 5y ago

It's a word the author made up. It means, "taking a movement that was originally crazy and attempting to rehabilitate its image by downplaying its origins." I am not sure how useful this idea is as a concept. The Libertarian party had a similar history (its original platform had something to do with keeping leaded gasoline legal...) but it doesn't matter now.

rhaps0dy 5y ago

Read the article, it's explained. The term was coined in r/neoliberal, https://old.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/comments/js84tu/how_did_defund_the_police_stop_meaning_defund_the/ https://old.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/comments/js84tu/how_did_.... The poster there asks the question, what to do when you want to hold a position but you encounter good arguments against it? And then answers it: > I’m arguing you’re going to “sanewash” it. And by that I mean, what you do is go “Well, obviously the arguments that people are obviously making are insane, and not what people actually believe or mean. What you can think of it as is [more reasonable argument or position than people are actually making]”.

derbOac 5y ago

For what it's worth, English is my native language and I was unfamiliar with the term. I couldn't figure out the definition without more context either.

beerandt 5y ago

When outsiders understand what a movement is really about, but it sounds bad, so movement claims that outsiders' (accurate) perspective is wrong. "No sane person would belive %movement_belief%, what we really believe is %moderate-not_insane-image_saving-fake_belief%.

Karawebnetwork 5y ago

It is internet lingo and I would not recommend using it contexts other than describing internet events/drama. Even in that context, I personally would only use it carefully while quoting someone else. It does not create productive conversations as it automatically casts the opposite party as "insane". See also: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2021/02/20/its-time-to-stop-even-casually-misusing-disability-words/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2021/02/20/its-ti...