Jen SorensenRecent comic: It's time to update the old binaries.
Esslar2@jensorensen Many times I see "anarchy" and "barbarism" used as meaning chaos and mayhem (anarchy) and behavior that violates human rights or is violent (barbarism.) "Barbarians" were, in Roman times, likely the freest people in Europe. They lived in a state of anarchy, that is, they had no rulers or emperors, they lived freely and made their own decisions. Of course, the Romans hated this and treated barbarians as if they were primitive and backward when it was really the Romans who were behaving abominably toward other human beings. So, "barbarism" should be removed from any list of terms that have to do with violent or abusive behavior.
Caroline Kinlund@flyhigh @jensorensen also that word was always xenophobic, used by high-class Greeks as a pejorative against not just all non-Greek speakers but even “low class” Greek dialects, the equivalent of calling everyone else “blah-blahs”. It’s conveyed a fundamental disdain for anyone not with the “in” group right from the start.