Brian Klaas
Okay, I finally got too annoyed about idiot MAGA zealots incorrectly using the words “coup” and “Marxist” while insisting that “America is a republic, NOT a democracy” and wrote about why such abuse of the English language is both stupid and dangerous. https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/maga-corruptions-of-the-english-language
The MAGA Abuse of the English Language

Modern Republicans have distorted our political lexicon. Here's how to correct it.

The Garden of Forking Paths
Aug 1, 2024 at 12:37pmWeb
Show threadPoligofskyAug 1, 2024

@brianklaas

I wonder if we can ever get over the innate tension—often disintegrating into outright conflict—between those two powerful uses of language: knowledge transfer and persuasion. The first is regularly absud, if not outright sacrificed, to the latter.

Will we ever find a way to protect knowledge, in language, for the general public? Since it seems infeasible for everyone to learn a formal legal/scientific dialect.

Show threadCătă 🇷🇴🇺🇦🇲🇩🇪🇺Aug 1, 2024

@brianklaas democracy is when democrats and republic is when republicans, what's so hard to understand? /s

Anyway, if the orange guy will win, then they might as well be correct.

Show threadLocksmithAug 1, 2024
@petrescatraian @brianklaas
*Now* I get it.
Show threadDrumchordAug 1, 2024

@brianklaas It was quite long ago when I first encountered the "this is not a democracy, it's a republic" reasoning and I remember being in awe for a few minutes just thinking how could someone be that stupid. It stills amaze me btw.

Great piece man.

P.S. I dream with a world in which the word "billion" is correctly used ;)

Show threadMAug 1, 2024
@brianklaas great post content. Good ans simple clarification, needed by many maga supporter!
Show threadThreadbaneAug 1, 2024
@brianklaas
The GOP has destroyed the public school system. We now have a population that is 54% functionally illiterate and the texts in our 9-12th grades averages a depressing 5.3 reading level. A significant portion of Americans now speak English at the level of an 11 year old, and literally (har har) don't even know what many "ordinary" words mean. For them, "Marxist" is merely some vaguely defined negative epithet, "Democrat" just another word for "enemy".
Show threadTrue SlickyAug 1, 2024
@brianklaas Another term that MAGAt Republicans clearly don't understand is "presidential ticket."
Show threadThunderstrikeAug 1, 2024

@brianklaas

They've always done crap like that for as long as I can remember. Redefining words and phrases is a favorite tactic on the right.

Show threadEric LawtonAug 1, 2024

@brianklaas

They seem to miss the "public" part of republic.

They mean "it's a replutocrat".

Show threadFinchHaven infosecAug 3, 2024

@brianklaas

"“America is a republic, NOT a democracy”"

As you call it, the mic-drop magical qualities for the MAGA crowd I've never bothered to plumb

So thanks for that explainer

Then, one of my favorites:

"AR does *NOT* stand for assault rifle!!!"

which seems to trump some sort of argument some ammosexuals need to win

As a fun hint, I offer, from Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehukpdse8_w

[edit: don't know what's wrong with that link if it doesn't play but Youtube has become increasingly sucky...]

My Little Armalite

YouTube