If the Twitter/X thing teaches you one thing, let it be this: Twitter was a neoliberal place. Then Elon Musk made it into X, a fascist place. Once again, neoliberalism laid the foundations of fascism. But that’s not the (whole) lesson… Neoliberal folks are still using X, calling it Twitter to make themselves feel better, and pining for the good old days. And there’s the real lesson: When neoliberalism turns into fascism, neoliberals will adapt to life under fascism. Right, class dismissed.

source

(We really need a better way to crosspost from mastodon…)

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.worldEnglish
    26·
    8 months ago

    You are describing how it was the accurate, descriptive medical term but how the use as an insult made it so that it’s an insult. Isn’t that exactly what I was saying?

    No. You were saying that the meaning of the r-word hasn’t changed and can be accurately used to describe what it originally did. That’s not true.

    It was and sometimes still is used neutrally as a descriptor of certain type of economic policies.

    Because that’s what it means. Always have, always will.

    Those who view those economic ideas and policies negatively use it as an insult

    Because to people who know how awful neoliberalism is, it’s insulting to be labeled as an adherent of that ideology.

    Insulting doesn’t automatically mean inaccurate or without use as a factual descriptor.

    In that respect it’s the same as “communist”

    No it isn’t.The vast majority of the people who use the word communist to insult don’t know what it actually means beyond cold war propaganda equating it with misery and deliberate evil.

    People who use the word neoliberal in a disparaging way are fully aware of the actual meaning and are using that as the insult, not some Reaganesque caricature.

    Neoliberals pretend to be centrist or center-left and don’t want to be called out as Neoliberals, since everyone knows that’s a center right to right wing ideology.

    Just like Republicans exhibiting all 14 common characteristics of fascism don’t want to be called out on being fascists because people know that fascism is bad.

    • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
      61·
      8 months ago

      No. You were saying that the meaning of the r-word hasn’t changed and can be accurately used to describe what it originally did. That’s not true.

      I think it’s just that people use it as an insult. I think that is the case with many insults. I think retarded started as just a descriptive word.

      Emphasized the relevant part. Would be silly to say something started as something and mean it is just the same now. It’s like the joke “I used to”.

      Because to people who know how awful neoliberalism is, it’s insulting to be labeled as an adherent of that ideology.

      Insulting doesn’t automatically mean inaccurate or without use as a factual descriptor.

      I don’t know who you are arguing against. People who view thing negatively use descriptor for the thing as an insult. Yes that’s what I’ve said.

      No it isn’t.The vast majority of the people who use the word communist to insult don’t know what it actually means beyond cold war propaganda equating it with misery and deliberate evil.

      People who use the word neoliberal in a disparaging way are fully aware of the actual meaning and are using that as the insult, not some Reaganesque caricature.

      Somehow I feel like both insults see their fair share of inaccurate and accurate use.