3 ms·
In my experience in the US people use “left”, “liberal”, “socialist” etc synonymously (and mostly pejoratively). Same for “right”, “conservative”, etc.
by eeghyrdcg 3y ago
In my experience in the US people use “left”, “liberal”, “socialist” etc synonymously (and mostly pejoratively). Same for “right”, “conservative”, etc.
- Tostino 3y agoBut what ignorant people think isn't really relevant here when trying to discuss terms that do in fact mean different things.
- eeghyrdcg 3y agoMaybe. A lot of people will truly believe Sierra Club to be “left” without understanding what that (used to?) mean. A descriptivist would say maybe that suggests the words’ meanings have changed. If everyone is ignorantly incorrect maybe it’s just a different thing now. I agree it has less utility as a word / set of words though.
- earthwalker99 3y ago>I agree it has less utility as a word / set of words though. This is the point I think you are missing. No definitions are "changed" because there is nothing new. It is only regression. It's anti-intellectual at best. Humanity can only become more ignorant as a result. By virtue of enlightenment principles, the only acceptable way forward is to question why such a degenerate tendency has arisen and consider what to do about it.
- eeghyrdcg 3y agoI don’t think I’m missing anything. You’re just saying “I prefer prescriptivism. Mine.”
- earthwalker99 3y ago[flagged]