4 ms·

I don't dispute that there's a theory of change here: "if we explore the linguistic landscape, we can discover a set of signifiers that will help us to destroy

• roughly 4y ago
  That's not the theory of change at play here. You're rejecting a straw man. As to the rest of it: "Officer, arrest that man" is a series of incantations that affect the material world.
  • scarmig 4y ago
    I can say that right now, and nothing happens. The words aren't the causal elements here changing the world; it's the referants and power hierarchies that do. The proper analogy would be thinking that requiring saying "Officer, detain-in-an-official-capacity that man!" instead would somehow fix police violence.
    • roughly 4y ago
      > I can say that right now, and nothing happens. The words aren't the causal elements here changing the world; it's the referants and power hierarchies that do. And you think this is something that’s not understood among those pushing for linguistics changes?
      • jimbokun 4y ago
        I think that. I think those people distract and soothe themselves from their inability to enact change with linguistic games.