Many pejorative political slogans are obtained by joining an otherwise neutral description of a political movement or group with a pejorative term questioning the groups's sanity or motives, or associating the group with hated political movements of the past such as Nazis or Communists.
Arguments about the use of these slogans often follow a pattern in which proponents of the slogans insist that the term is intended to be construed so narrowly as to be inoffensive while opponents insist that the term as heard by a typical listener will be construed more broadly. Examples of such arguments are visible in the sections below, but a general pattern may include, for proponents:
- The claim that a term (e.g., feminazi) is not intended to apply to all members of the group ("feminists"), but only those who exhibit some of the attributes suggested by the pejorative part of the term ("Nazis").
- The claim that the pejorative part of the term is intended to be construed narrowly (e.g., Nazi as short-hand for anybody who shows contempt for individual rights or the democratic process) rather than with its full horrifying connotations (e.g., Nazi as short-hand for somebody who would like to shove children into ovens).
Regardless of the intent of the author, the possibility that pejorative political slogans will be construed more broadly than expected creates the danger of alienating a large part of one's audience. Thus, except in cases where the slogan is being used a shibboleth to closely identify the author with a particular political movement, a wise writer or speaker will generally adopt more neutral terminology. Conversely, in classical rhetoric, the principle of charity demands that when making an argument one assumes the most generous interpretation of one's opponent's statements, so that one's own argument is not derailed by simply claiming that the opponent's statements were misconstrued. This principle suggests that the most principled response to another's use of pejorative slogans is to ignore them, accepting at face value the user's claim to a narrow interpretation while again adopting more neutral terminology in one's own arguments.
A list of pejorative political slogans with a brief description of each:
Environmentalist wacko
"Environmentalist wacko" is a phrase that right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh uses to describe what he considers to be extremely radical environmentalists; he does not use it to describe people who merely care about the environment.
According to Limbaugh, some "environmentalist wackos" reject all forms of higher technology (electrical, mechanical, medicine, etc) and want the United States to abolish the automobile, stop using oil and gas, and revert to an agrarian society. Members of Earth First or the Earth Liberation Front would be an example of those he might characterize "environmentalist wackos", since they participate in what many define as terrorist acts against corporations they perceive as unfriendly to the earth.
However, he extends the use of the term to describe a much broader segment of the environmentalist movment; thus, other environmentalist policies and principles he attributes to "environmentalist wackos" include: ignoring economic consequences of environmental laws; ignoring or avoiding any cost/benefit analysis regarding environmental policies; placing an equal or higher value on animal life than on human life; suggestions that animals are "just as intelligent" as humans; relying on lawsuits and laws to solve environmental problems, rather than relying on the marketplace. Thus, by many definitions, he would characterize the vast majority of environmentalists as "wackos". He also often accuses "environmentalist wackos" of using environmentalism as an excuse for the government to gain more property and more control over our lives.
Limbaugh presents news stories with opinions which are unfavorable to theories and beliefs that those he characterizes as "environmentalist wackos" presumably hold.
Feminazi
Feminazi is a term coined by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh to refer to feminists. To Limbaugh, a feminazi was originally a woman to whom "the most important thing in life is seeing to it that as many abortions as possible are performed".
Others now use the term more loosely to describe almost any active and militant feminist. The term is also sometimes used to describe politically correct movements, such as those who draw attention to sexist language in daily life.
This term was popularized by writers like Andrew Sullivan during the 2003 debate over whether secular, fascist Iraq was in collusion with fundamentalist terror group Al Qaeda. The term Islamofascists refers to those who claim to be Muslims but are considered by their opponents as fascists with Islamic background. Nevertheless many Muslims find the term insulting, as it suggests a link between Islam and Fascism.
The term is especially applied to Muslim groups (like GIA, Hamas, Abu Sayaf, Al Qaida, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah) that promote theocracy and oppose democracy, in distinction to Muslims who see no contradiction between Islam and Western-style modernism.
Some writers use the term "Islamofascism" specifically to refer to Wahhabism and similar movements in Sunni Islam, while others use it to refer to all highly politicized strains of Islam, including Shiite fundamentalism as practised in Iran. However, Islamofascism is not a widely accepted term due to its imprecise, "loaded", propaganda-minded nature. A more common and less loaded term for these politicized strains of Islam, which seek to replace secular governments in Muslim countries with Islamic law, is Islamist.
Judeofascism and Zionazism are terms used by advocates of the view that aspects of Judaism, Zionism or Israeli government policy are fascist or similar to behavior thought typical of Nazis. Sometimes the target of the terms is a philosophy that only Jews should have political rights in Israel, or that Israel should be governed by the principles of Jewish law rather than Western democratic principles. Much more commonly, the terms are used by opponents of Israeli behavior towards the Palestinians. In most cases, the user of the terms intends them to be offensive for the rhetorical effect this creates.
Used in Serbia and Montenegro (and, possibly, other Orthodox countries) for those who want to introduce to everyday life religious practices supposedly in similar way as Taliban did, for example, religious education to schools or ban of abortion.
Used in the United States by detractors of religious conservatives, to associate the social policies favored by parts of the United States Republican Party with the radically repressive social policies of the Taliban. The term was less widely used after the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, when comparisons to the Taliban, with which the United States was soon at war, became more inflammatory.
Originally a Tory was a supporter of James II of England, the king who was ousted when he tried to reintroduce Roman Catholicism into England. The name was given them by their opponents, the Whigs; the supporters of William and Mary. Tory is derived from the Irish word, "toraidhe" meaning an outlaw or rebel, specifically a Roman Catholic who preyed on the Protestant Settlers. The name stuck to the conservative side of British politics even beyond the formation of the British Conservative Party in 1830.
Tory was also used in USA to describe the loyalists during the American Revolution.
The term Whig was originally used to mean a Scottish Presbyterian, particularly a Covenanter in rebellion against the Crown. The origin of the word is obscure but it may refer to a group of seventeenth century Scottish rebels whose attack on Edinburgh is called the Whiggamore Raid. Alternatively "whigmaleerie" is an old Scottish word meaning a silly idea.
Used in Serbia and Montenegro for political parties that are supposedly so small that their entire membership could fit into a van.
A New Zealand term, almost obsolete. Originally it meant an Abolitionist, alcohol not slavery. It also came to mean a killjoy, someone whose opposition to alcohol extended to all social jollity.
WASP is an acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. It was coined in the early 1960's to describe the ruling elite of the United States, implying that they were almost exclusively drawn from a very narrow social group. There was possibly the further implication that as WASP's they had little or no sympathy for other social groups.
A person sympathetic to the Communist Party and Russia during the Cold War but not usually an outright Communist. The term was usually applied by people of the far right; to them a Pinko was person who did not automatically agree that killing Communists was a good thing to do.
A British term to describe someone who claims to be a socialist without feeling the need to espouse an appropriate lifestyle. It implies that the person is less than sicere in their beliefs. It also implies that champagne is not a suitable drink for socialists.
Similar terms in other countries include limousine liberal, chardonnay socialist, and gauche caviar.
Islamofascism
Judeofascism and Zionazism
Orthodox Taliban
Taliban wing of the Republican Party
Tory and Whig
Van party
Wowser
WASP
Pinko
Champagne socialist
Loony Left
A name sometimes used for what is considered to be ultra left-wing.
