on May 30, 2025, 11:43 am
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/29/2324814/-Yes-progressive-buzzwords-are-killing-us
Progressives are facing plenty of real challenges during Trump 2.0, but losing voters because we sound like academic robots shouldn’t be one of them. The Washington Post just highlighted a growing backlash among Democrats who are fed up with jargon that alienates voters more than it persuades them.
'Maybe it’s using the word “oligarchs” instead of rich people. Or referring to “people experiencing food insecurity” rather than Americans going hungry. Or “equity” in place of “equality,” or “justice-involved populations” instead of prisoners.
As Democrats wrestle with who to be in the era of President Donald Trump, a growing group of party members — especially centrists — is reviving the argument that Democrats need to rethink the words they use to talk with the voters whose trust they need to regain.'
Progressives have developed a lingo that sounds like utter nonsense to most people. “Privilege” is used to describe those with inherent advantages; “appropriation” frames almost any cultural exchange as theft; the “Land Back” movement unrealistically suggests that stolen lands should be returned to Native people; “LGBTIQCAPGNGFNBA” is an actual acronym; and uttering the phrase “settler colonialism” is guaranteed to spark a fight. Inside activist circles, this language might resonate. Outside of them, it doesn’t just fail to persuade—it actively alienates people.
Amen, brother.
-greenman
Message Thread
« Back to index | View thread »
RETURN TO MESSAGE INDEX PAGE
Board Moderators are Sia, Pikes Peak 14115, Amadeus, Poppet and
Trish