Don't you hate it when a bookmarked web page disappears down the memory hole? Well, this one did. Now, thanks to the 'Wayback Machine', I've managed to salvage the "List of Political Epithets".
The following is a list of
Pejorative '''political epithets'''; meaning, words or phrases used to mock or insult certain political views and their supporters. An explanation is also given for each term's intended meaning and original source (where known). The list is not comprehensive, and perhaps never will be, due to the multitude of political epithets that have been and continue to be created. Please note that the majority of these epithets are inherently biased terms and some are considered highly inflammatory.
==A==
===Abortion on demand=== ''U.S.:'' A term used by opponents of legalized
Abortion to refer to the effectual legal outcome of ''
Roe_v._Wade'' and ''
Doe_v._Bolton'' rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://www.all.org/issues/ab10.htm The term implies that those favoring abortion rights favor permitting abortion under any and all circumstances, for any or no reason.
===Abortionist=== Term used by anti-abortion activists verbally and in writing to characterize any physician that performs abortions as a
Killer, rather than a
Healer. The "-ist" suffix indicates profession, where in this case the nature of the abortion act is emphasised over the typical positive connotations of the term physician. The term is considered to be a politically "incendiary" way of describing the more clinical term "
Abortion_provider".
===Activist judges=== ''U.S.'':
Judges whose decisions are alleged to be "extra-constitutional," overturn traditional legal interpretations, or who are alleged to craft decisions to produce a predetermined outcome. Often, such judges are accused of "legislating from the bench", as it is implied that the
will of the people (as expressed directly, or via the legislature) is being thwarted. This term is usually used by
conservatives, often when long-standing laws upholding or promoting "traditional values" are overturned. However, liberal commentators such as
Alan_Dershowitz have also decried "judicial activism" by conservative jurists. "
Judicial_Activism" has also been used by judges themselves - and ''against'' conservatives. Judge
John_Bridges used this "epithet" in his decision against conservative Republican candidate
Dino_Rossi's election challenge, after Rossi's loss to
Christine_Gregoire in the
2004_Washington_State_gubernatorial_election : ''"To do so, within the context of the facts of this case, would constitute the ultimate act of judicial egotism and judicial activism..."''
http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/0523/050608_news_electiondecision.php ===Aid and comfort to the enemy=== ''U.S.:'' A term used mainly by
conservatives for people who are perceived as supporting the enemies of the United States, although others use the term against people they see as being overly sympathetic towards an enemy seen by many as being cruel and vicious. This term was often expressed towards liberal members of the entertainment industry. Derives from the definition of
treason against the United States within the U.S. Constitution (Article III, Section 3).
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articleiii.html#section3 This interpretation is derived from the theory that a failure to support your own forces (and friendly forces) in an ongoing war (or to the manner in which it is being prosecuted); including criticism of the political leadership which is allegedly responsible for the war and/or its conduct, has the result of being beneficial (thus giving "aid and comfort") to the enemy; thus such opposition is tantamount to treason.
===Amnesty Solution=== ''U.S.:'' Used to describe the Guest Worker Program proposed by President George W. Bush in 2006 by those who favor stricter border controls in response to illegal immigration. Suggests that Bush's policies are akin to amnesty for undocumented workers.
===Anti-choice=== ''U.S.:'' A term used by some
Pro-choice individuals (advocates of legalized
Abortion) to refer to
Pro-life individuals (opponents of legalized abortion). They may choose not to use pro-life as an objection to the idea that "
Life" is legally in question. Those who share this belief may feel that a fertilized egg or
Embryo does not legally constitute human "life"; they may wish to emphasize the view that the issue in question is a woman's right to make choices regarding her own body; or they may feel that the phrase "pro-life" implicitly denigrates pro-choicers as "anti-life" or even "pro-death". In the broader sense refers to those people whose opposition to reproductive rights includes overturning the
Griswold_v._Connecticut opinion (which legalized contraceptives for married couples) as well as subsequent Supreme Court decisions that expanded access to birth control.
===Anti-immigrant/anti-immigration=== A political epithet when used to refer to those who support
Immigration_reduction but are not opposed to legal
Immigration. This is distinct from the correct usage of Anti-immigrant, when it refers to those who denigrate, fear, or oppose
Immigrants. ''Anti-immigration'' is sometimes used interchangeably, although it has a distinct meaning. "Anti-immigrant" or "anti-immigration" is also sometimes used as a
Straw_man argument to denigrate those who oppose
Illegal_immigration, but do not oppose legal immigration.
===Anti-life=== ''U.S.:'' A term used by some
Pro-life individuals (opponents of legalized
Abortion) to refer to those who title themselves as "
Pro-choice" (advocates of legalized abortion). They may choose not to use pro-choice as an objection to the idea that "choice" is legally in question. Those who share this belief may feel that a pregnant woman doesn't posses sole jurisdiction over her fetus but that she possesses jurisdiction over only her own body; they may wish to emphasize the view that the issue in question is the independent life of a fetus; or they may feel that the phrase "pro-choice" implicitly denigrates pro-lifers as "anti-choice" or even "pro-subjugation". This term may be used to draw parallels between unrestricted legalization of abortion and legalization of
Murder and
Infanticide.
===Apartheid=== Apartheid was a system of racial
Segregation that operated in South Africa and is a
Crime_against_humanity according to the
United_Nations. As an epithet, the term implies a given society practices politically sanctioned racism.
===Apparatchik=== From
Soviet era Russian terminology, meaning simply a member of the political organizational
Apparatus of Soviet Russia; it now has a meaning in English which implies a bureaucratic mentality and/or slavish (to the point of mindlessness) devotion to a cause (or a political figure). A recent example from the ''
Washington_Times'': "Mr. McCain said commission Vice Chairman Ellen Weintraub is an "apparatchik" of the Democratic Party ..."
===Axe-Grinder=== A person whose participation in politics appears to be motivated by
Malice or a desire to complain.
==B==
===Baby killer=== A term used by some members of the left in the
1960s and
1970s, to denigrate military personnel. Later, some in the pro-life movement used the same term against doctors who perform abortions, and against other supporters of legal abortion.
===Banana republic=== A pejorative term for a small, often
Latin_American or
Caribbean country, politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, wealthy and corrupt clique. Coined by
O._Henry, American humorist and short story writer, in reference to
Honduras. "Republic" in his time was often a euphemism for a dictatorship, while "banana" implied an easy reliance on basic agriculture and backwardness in the development of modern industrial technology.
===Bedwetting conservative=== ''U.S.'': Used by
liberals to refer to
conservatives who favor stronger security measures, most especially in the
War_on_Terror. The term suggests extreme fear, and alarmism, and is generally applied to those who suggest using covert surveillance to protect against terrorism.
===Bedwetting liberal=== ''U.S.'': Used by
conservatives to refer to
liberals who do not favor stronger security measures, most especially in the
War_on_Terror. The term suggests extreme fear, and alarmism, and is generally applied to those who believe Constitutional rights will be eroded to protect against terrorism.
http://www.zazzle.com/product/235386720201762293===Bible basher ''or'' Bible thumper=== Someone who tries in a forceful or enthusiastic way to persuade other people to believe in the Christian religion and the Bible. Most commonly referring to
evangelical or
Fundamentalist Christians who believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and that its enclosed laws and precepts should strongly guide public policy.
===Big Business Party=== ''U.S.:'' A term used to refer to the
U.S. Democratic Party and
U.S. Republican Party as being two different wings of the same party, implying that the U.S. has a one-party government whose main concern is not ''The People'' but corporate profits.
===Blame America-Firster=== Pejorative term used to describe those that question the role of U.S. foreign policy in precipitating attacks on the U.S. and its allies and interests.
===Bleeding-heart liberal=== ''U.S.'': Used by
conservatives to refer to
liberals that are seen to stress emotionalism over rationalism - most often people liberal on social issues such as the death penalty or the
Drug_war.
Ted_Kennedy is a prominent example of the type of liberal who attracts this epithet. Conservatives see these people as "soft on crime," thus allegedly encouraging crime and causing harm to society. Liberals have occasionally adopted the term for themselves, claiming that a bleeding heart is better than one made of stone.
===Bloc-head=== ''CAN'': A derisive name used by Anglophones, for members of the separatist
Bloc_Québécois in
Québec,
Canada. Interestingly, Quebecois use the term "tête carrée" ("square head") as a derisive name for Anglophones.
===Bloody Shirt=== ''U.S.'': Used in late 19th Century by
Republicans, implying that the
Democrats were responsible for provoking the
U.S._Civil_War. A speaker or writer expounding this viewpoint was said to "wave the bloody shirt." Some claim the term originates from a scene in
Shakespeare's ''
Julius Caesar'' in which
Marc_Antony delivers the eulogy after Caesar was betrayed and murdered by
Marcus_Junius_Brutus,
Gaius_Cassius_Longinus, and other members of the
Roman_Senate.
===Blue-blood=== ''U.S.'': Used to refer to wealthy
New_Englanders with "old money", who are usually of
WASP or old
New York Dutch descent. They tend to be fiscally conservative, but may be socially liberal (see
Libertarianism). The term is also sometimes used by conservative
Republicans to characterize Republicans who describe themselves as
moderates (similar to the term "Country-club Republicans;" see below).
===Blue Dog Democrats=== ''U.S''.: Term frequently used to describe Democrats who maintain their party affiliation, but align themselves with candidates and initiatives more politically conservative than most Democrats. Blue Dogs will more frequently vote for Republicans or Independents. The
Blue_Dog_Coalition is allegedly a group of
congressional representatives who hold this viewpoint; it was a coalition that came into existence in the mid-1990s. Cynical conservatives claim the organization exists only as a cover for
liberals serving in conservative districts.
===Blue Liberal=== ''CAN'': Term for a member of the
Liberal_Party_of_Canada who leans to the right of the party on fiscal policies. Not generally seen as pejorative. A variation of the older term
Red_Tory.
===Bolshevik, Bolshevism=== ''U.S. & UK:'' Derogatory term applied to members of the far left. It implies a connection with
Communism, particularly the Russian variety. The phrase was also used in
Nazi_Germany against enemies of
Nazism, for example in Nazi propaganda posters. ''See also:''
Commie, Communist,
Judeo-bolshevism===Borrow and Spend Republican=== ''U.S.'': Used by liberals to label conservatives as favoring a cycle of continually reducing taxes without corresponding restraint in government spending, the result being "deficits as far as the eye can see." Contrast
Tax and Spend Liberal.
===Bourgeois, Bourgeoisie=== When used neutrally, the term refers to the wealthy or propertied classes in a
capitalist society. In
Marxian political economics, the bourgeoisie is seen as the
Ruling_class in industrial capitalism because of their ownership of the
Means_of_production which enables them to employ and exploit the work of waged workers (the
Working_class). Some Communists use "bourgeois" as an insult; those who are perceived to collaborate with the
Bourgeoisie are often called its lackeys, as in ''"capitalist running dogs and their imperialist lackeys"''.
===Brown Shirts=== Originally the term referred to
Nazi_Germany's
Sturmabteilung, or stormtroopers. Also called the SA, they came to be known as '''Brown Shirts''' due to the brown shirts that they wore as part of the uniform. Following the defeat of the
Nazis in the
Second_World_War, the term ''brown shirts'' entered everyday language as a means to disparage the extreme rank and file of any political organization. It can also mean an individual of a political organization who is seen as very narrow-minded and excessively loyal. Sometimes the term is applied to those who are felt to have engaged in
Thug like behavior by their political opponents. The term "
Digital_Brownshirts," a controversial phrase coined by former Vice-President
Al_Gore, was once used by Gore to disparage the right-leaning
Weblogs that criticize what they perceive as a liberal agenda in the mainstream media. The term "
Blackshirts," from the term for the militant
fascist supporters of
Mussolini, is sometimes used instead.
=== Bureaupublican === Used to describe elitist right-wing politicians who only care about their own profits and not the people's concerns. Compare
Corporacrat.
===Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS)=== Term used to describe in a derogatory manner the thinking of those who are vehemently opposed to
George_W._Bush and his policies.
===Bushevik=== A term for a supporter of the
George_W._Bush administration and its policies, particularly one who works for the government. By anology with
Bolshevik, it implies a
Totalitarian attitude towards governance and a cavalier attitude towards civil rights. Similar to Bushista.
===Bushista=== A term used to describe a follower of George W. Bush's administration. By anology with
Sandinista, it implies a militaristic attitude and a willingness to employ extreme measures to achieve objectives. Similar to Bushevik.
===Bushwhacker=== ''U.S., pre-
civil war era:'' Term used by opponents of slavery to denote the various groups of pro-slavery or simply opportunist bandits and militants who raided and killed abolitionists in Kansas and Missouri in the
Bleeding_Kansas period.
==C==
===Capitalist Roader=== ''People's Republic of China'': Used against
Deng_Xiaoping by those in the Chinese Communist Party (including the
Gang_of_Four) in order to purge him 3 times; he was later rehabilitated into the party thrice and led China in the 1980s and 1990s.
===Capitalist Pig=== Used by
anti-capitalists to refer to
capitalists, implying that those who enrich themselves under capitalism are greedy as pigs.
===Card-carrying member of the ACLU=== ''U.S.:'' Used most often by conservatives to insult liberals who may advocate policies similar to that of the
American_Civil_Liberties_Union. In the 1988 presidential election, the then-
Vice_President George_H.W._Bush called then-
Governor Michael_Dukakis a "card-carrying member of the ACLU," which Dukakis proudly acknowledged.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/debatingourdestiny/dod/1988-broadcast.html The term now serves as a jocular recruitment slogan for the ACLU.
===Carpetbagger=== ''Post-
American_Civil_War U.S.'': Original usage by white Southerners for the Northerners that came South after the Civil War, viewed as "carpetbaggers" - opportunists and exploiters bent on grabbing economic and political benefits. This was possible due to former Confederate soldiers and officers being barred from holding public office and in some cases owning land. The term originated from a popular form of baggage carried by these individuals, a type of large bag made from cheap carpet fabric. This type of bag was also often used to transport money in train payroll deliveries.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/carpetbagger/# ''Contemporary Usage in U.S.'': Politicians who move to a new jurisdiction in order to meet a residency requirement for holding public office. Senator
Hillary Clinton is frequently decried as an
Arkansas carpetbagger in
New_York state. ''UK'': Supporters of the conversion of mutual
building societies into banks purely for reasons of personal financial gain.
===Champagne socialist=== ''UK, Canada'': The phrase refers to politicians who are perceived as having
socialist tendencies in their political views and policies but disregard socialist ideals in their daily life. The term generally is used as an attack by opposing politicians to portray and ridicule their opponents as
hypocritical. Similar terms in other countries include
Limousine_liberal,
Latte_liberal or
East-coast_liberal (
United_States),
Chardonnay_socialist (
Australia), latte sippers (
Britain and
Australasia),
Gucci_socialist, and
Gauche_caviar (
France).
===Chauvinist Pig=== Used to describe a man as having a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his own
Sex; often extended to describe a
Man as one who hates
women, or to one who believes in different roles and standards for the two sexes. Also Pig, Male Chauvinist, and Male Chauvinist Pig. The original usage of this term (which is in recent resurgence) refers to an arrogant favorite of
Napoleon, his loyal follower
Nicolas_Chauvin, a
French ultra-nationalist.
===Cheese-eating surrender monkeys=== ''U.S., U.K.:'' A provocative phrase used to mock
France for their famous surrenders in the
Franco-Prussian_War,
World_War_II,
North_Africa, and
French_Indochina, and for their reputation as
Gourmets. Coined by writers of the animated television show, ''
The_Simpsons'', the phrase was repeated by the
political right in the
United_States and the
United_Kingdom in the run-up to the
Iraq_War, especially by
Jonah_Goldberg.
===Chickendove=== ''U.S.:'' An epithet used to criticize an
Anti-war Protester who will only protest against "safe" protest targets (usually
democratic free
countries)--even if the "unsafe" target is truly the one at fault. For example, (at the time) protesting against US or
British involvement in
World_War_II but not protesting
German or
Japanese involvement in the war; or protesting against
retaliatory strikes by
Israel but not protesting against terrorist actions by groups such as
Hamas.
===Chickenhawk=== ''U.S.:'' An epithet used to criticize a
Politician,
Bureaucrat, or commentator who votes for
War, supports war, commands a war, or develops war policy, but avoided service in the
Military, implicitly by favors from well-placed parents or by lying to
draft officials. More pointedly may refer to men who were of draft age during the
Vietnam_War but avoided service, yet later professed support for that war. Also a
sexual term for those persons that desire
underaged sexual partners.
===Chimperialism=== A derogatory term referring to the perceived
imperialistic policies of the U.S. president
George_W._Bush and his administration. The term implies that the President resembles a
Chimpanzee.
===Christian Taliban=== Derogatory term for Christian leadership figures who are so extreme in their religious beliefs that their views can easily be compared to those of the Muslim Taliban of Afghanistan & Pakistan.
===Class warfare=== In its original meaning,
Class_warfare is a
Marxist term referring to the sometimes violent struggle between the
Ruling_class (
Bourgeoisie) and the
Working_class (
Proletariat). As a pejorative, ''class warfare'' is often used by conservatives to attack perceived left-wing hatred of the wealthy, often in relation to left-wing policies of wealth redistribution, which conservatives believe to be "punishing" the rich for economic success. It is also used by liberals to attack perceived right-wing hatred of the poor, often in relation to right-wing policies of "trickle-down" economics or policies designed to force the poor to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", which liberals believe to be based on flawed logic or the Puritanical notion that poor people deserve to be punished because their economic status is somehow proof of their inherent "badness" or immorality.
===Clintonista=== A
Portmanteau of
President Bill Clinton's name and the word "Sandinista" of the
Sandinista_National_Liberation_Front, a socialist political party in Nicaragua. The term is used by conservatives to refer to members of the Clinton administration.
===Commie, Communist=== This term in and of itself became a slur during the
Cold_War. Also "pinko commie", or "Commie Pinko Fag", popularized during the Vietnam war.
===Communist Sympathizer=== A person sympathetic to the
Communist_Party and/or the
Soviet_Union during the
Cold_War but not an outright
Communist. These persons were seen as
apologists for Communism, or as "soft" on Communism. Probably very similar in meaning but more insulting than "Fellow Traveller". Widely used in the USA and other countries. Sometimes shortened to "Comsymp".
===Con=== ''CAN'': A term used by opponents of the new
Conservative_Party_of_Canada, by its liberal and left-wing opponents and also by former supporters of the
Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Canada who opposed the merger with the right-wing
Canadian_Alliance which created the new conservative party.
===contard=== Commonly used by liberal bloggers as an insult toward the intelligence of conservatives, combining conservative and retard. ===Conchie, conchy=== ''UK'': A common disparaging term in the UK during the
World_War_I for "
Conscientious_objector". Also an ethnic slur used by Caribbean
blacks for
whites.
=== Corporacrat === Used to describe elitist left-wing politicians who only care about their own corporate gain. Compare
Bureaupublican.
===Corporate fascism=== "Corporate Fascism" is a sometimes disparaging term that is increasingly used to describe a situation where
Political and
Economic decisions are made with the primary purpose of satisfying
corporate demands, rather than the needs of the
People.
===Corporate Feudalism or Neofeudalism=== A term used to describe policies of various
Right-wing politicians, particularly those in the
United_States_Republican_Party, that are seen as radically increasing the wealth and
Income_distribution gap between the rich and the poor while increasing the power of the rich and decreasing the power of the poor. See also:
Neofeudalism and
Wealth_condensation ===Corporate-jet conservative=== ''U.S.'': A term coined by
Joe_Conasonhttp://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/feature/2003/08/19/conason_two/index.html and used by the
left to refer to super-rich conservatives. It implies (like
Country-club Republicans) that the main aim of conservatives is to make the rich richer, and is also intended to suggest that they are even richer than the
limousine liberals they despise.
===Corporate Press=== ''U.S.'': A term used by the
left to refer to the
News_media, especially in the
United_States (where most of it is privately owned; often by major corporations and holding companies), alleging a pro-corporate or conservative bias. Compare with
Liberal Press===Corporate Socialist=== Term used to describe big business practices of privatizing profit and socializing financial risk. Ralph Nader often referred to the practice in this manner.
===Corporatocracy=== ''Corporatocracy'' (sometimes ''corporocracy'') is a
Neologism coined by proponents of the
Global_Justice_Movement to describe a
Government bowing to pressure from corporate entities. While anyone can become a
Shareholder in principle, in reality it is frequently only the wealthy who can afford to own enough stock to directly influence the voting (and hence the activities) of a corporation. Hence the ''corporatocracy'' might be considered somewhat synonymous with
Plutocracy, government by the rich.
===Corporate welfare=== ''Corporate welfare'' is a term used by opponents of special privileges given to corporations such as tax breaks or
subsidies. It is implied that the corporations are less deserving than the poor, the traditional recipients of
welfare. The recipients of corporate welfare are sometimes called ''corporate welfare bums''.
===Counterrevolutionary=== In neutral use, the term refers to an active opponent of a certain
Revolution of one kind or another. As an epithet, it is used by communists to refer to both active and passive opponents of a
Communist_revolution. Also used as an epithet against party members who deviate from orthodoxy, or question/disagree with the leadership.
===Country-club Democrats=== A term used to describe members of the Democratic party who make a show of trying to help the disenfranchised, but are actually motivated by self interest.
http://connecticutlocalpolitics.blogspot.com/2005/09/governors-race-hot-potato.html ===Country-club Republicans=== A term implying that the real goal of leaders of the GOP is to make the rich even richer, and that issues such as
Abortion and gay rights are used to gain political support in order to enact a
plutocratic agenda. The term is most frequently used by social conservatives (similar in usage to the term
Blue-blood; see above).
===Crony and cronyism=== Refers to partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to public office without regard for their qualifications. (based on the Greek ''khronios/khronos'' meaning ''long time'')
===Crony capitalist=== Describing a capitalist whose success in business depends on an extremely close relationship with state institutions of politics and government. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth.
===Crypto–=== A prefix used to imply that a person secretly holds certain political beliefs. The most common examples of this usage are probably '''cryptocommunist''' (a closet communist) and '''cryptofascist''' (a closet fascist).
===Culture war=== ''U.S.'': This term has been used to describe ideologically-driven and often strident confrontations typical of American public cultural and political discourse since the 1960s, but becoming especially pronounced beginning in the 1980s. It is more often used by the American
right than the American
left. The term evokes the 19th-century German
Kulturkampf.
==D==
===Dalek=== Originated in
New_South_Wales within the
Liberal_Party_of_Australia to describe any power-hungry individual from the right faction aggressively engaging in
Branch_stacking.
===Death tax=== ''U.S.:'' A term used by opponents of
estate taxes to refer to it.
===Democrat Party=== A term used in the United States by some Republicans since the 1920s to imply that the
Democratic Party is not democratic. It has been more frequently used in the last decade, and is employed, almost exclusively, by President George W. Bush and other high ranking Republicans. See the "Use of the term "Democrat Party" section of the article
History of the Republican Party for more information.
===DemocRATs, Demoncrat, DemonRats, etc.=== ''U.S.:'' Terms imply that members of the Democratic Party are malevolent rodents, or simply demonic.
===Demoncracy, demonocracy=== A term used by opponents of democracy, etymology based on combining "
Demon" with "
Democracy" suggesting connection with
satanic forces.
===Dhimmi, Dhimmitude, Dhimmicrat=== Critics of Islam sometimes brand as ''dhimmis'' (from the Arabic word
Dhimmi - non-Muslims living in an Islamic state who are second-class citizens and must, according to the Koran, pay a tax unless they convert to Islam) those non-Muslims who they perceive as have too sympathetic a view towards
Islam (for example - the term is used by American conservatives against opponents of the
2003_invasion_of_Iraq). Variations of this epithet are "dhimmicrat" (a pro-Muslim member of the
U.S. Democratic Party), or "Dhimmi Carter" (
Jimmy_Carter, who they regard as spinelessly caving in to the
Iranian Islamist revolutionaries in
1979).
===DINO=== The term is a semi-acronym of "Democrat in name only". It is used by the more liberal members of the Democratic party toward members of the more conservative or moderate wing. An anologous term RINO refers to "Republican in name only".
===Dipper=== ''CAN:'' A member of the
New_Democratic_Party of
Canada. The name comes from the DP in the party's initials. It is used as an epithet, but is also used self-referentially by some NDP supporters in the same manner as "Tory" and "Grit" for Conservatives and Liberals respectively.
===Dirty Hippie=== ''U.S., UK & CAN'': Used by conservatives to refer to certain liberals and socialists. Comes from the poor personal
Hygiene and mode of dress of many
Hippies during the 1960s and 1970s, stereotypically perceived as including unshaved beards, long hair, bare feet, obesity or no bras. It is also based on the alleged tendency to wear too much
Patchouli oil, the smell of which can be overpowering.
===Dittohead=== ''U.S.:'' Refers to devout listeners of
right-wing political
pundit Rush_Limbaugh, who are typically in total agreement with the
Radio Talk_show host. Call-in "Dittoheads" often say "Mega Dittoes, Rush" to succintly indicate that they concur with everything the previous caller (or Rush, himself) has said. Critics use the phrase to describe a person that mindlessly agrees with everything Limbaugh has to say.
===Dixiecrat=== ''U.S.:'' Term used by
Civil_rights activists to describe
Southern_Democrats who enacted and enforced
Jim Crow laws, and obstructed
equal rights for
African_Americans and
Racial_integration. It derives from a Democratic splinter party who opposed civil rights legislation in 1948. They called themselves the States Rights Party, but the popular term was Dixiecrats.
===Dog-whistle politics=== ''UK & U.S.'': Dog-whistle politics is a term used to describe a type of political campaigning which is "only heard" by a specific intended audience. It is usually used pejoratively by those that do not approve of the tactics.
===DUmmy, DUmmies=== ''U.S.:'' Used by conservatives for active users of liberal blog
Democratic_Underground http://www.democraticunderground.com. Also used by conservative
Bloggers (and others on the U.S. political right) as a generic term to describe
Left_wing political activists (whether associated with
Democratic_Underground or not).
===Dummycrat and Dumbacrat=== ''U.S.:'' Used by conservatives to criticize supporters of the
U.S. Democratic Party. Less venomous than ''Dhimmicrat''.
==E==
===East-coast liberal=== ''U.S.'': refers to one or more stereotypes of
left-leaning denizens of the
Eastern_Seaboard, particularly journalists or academics. As used by some, it could be a thinly-disguised codeword for "Jewish liberal". During the
2004 Election,
John_Kerry was called a "
Massachusetts liberal", which carried the same connotations as
Limousine_liberal or
Champagne_socialist in addition to negative connotations among conservatives about Massachusetts'
Gay_marriage policy.
===Environmentalist wacko, econazi and ecoterrorists=== ''U.S.:'' ''Environmentalist wacko'', ''Econazi'' and ''Ecoterrorists'' are phrases often used by talk show host
Rush_Limbaugh and others to describe
Environmentalists. ''See also:''
Eco-terrorism ===Eurocrat=== A play on the word "bureaucrat", applied mainly to those who work in the institutions of the
European_Union (especially the
European_Commission). It is overwhelmingly used in a negative sense. The term "Men from
Brussels" is a synonym used by the
Tories in the United Kingdom.
===Extremist=== A term designating either of the two far ends of the traditional
Political_spectrum. Often used as an insult to imply that one's opponents hold unusual views that should not receive popular support.
==F==
===Falangist=== Originally, a member of the Spanish
Falange, now sometimes used as a synonym for "fascist".
===Fascist=== This term was initially coined by
Benito_Mussolini to describe his distinct
nationalist and
Authoritarian ideology. After
World_War_II,
Fascism as an ideology was discredited throughout most of the Western world (largely due to its perceived associations with
Nazi perpetrated
War_crimes such as the
Holocaust). Subsequently, very few individuals describe themselves as fascist today, and the term is generally used mostly as a pejorative political epithet directed against (often
right-wing) political opponents of the term-user, whose policies are perceived as resembling those of the historical Fascists (or Nazis), in that they are authoritarian or perhaps
Racist in nature. Novelist and political commentator
George_Orwell argued that "as used, the word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless... I have heard it applied to
Farmers,
shopkeepers,
Social_Credit,
Corporal_punishment,
Fox-hunting,
Bull-fighting, the
1922_Committee, the
1941_Committee,
Kipling,
Gandhi,
Chiang_Kai-Shek,
Homosexuality,
Priestley's broadcasts,
Youth_hostels,
Astrology,
Women,
Dogs and I do not know what else." Because of the wide variety of contradictory usages, the word "Fascist" often carries little specific meaning.
===Fearmongers=== ''U.S.'': Largely used in American Politics by parties describing the election rhetoric of their opponents. It has been used by the
Republicans in response to allegations they they wish to eliminate
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and school lunches. It has also been used by the
Democrats, particularly
Howard_Dean in 2003, in regards to the impetus for the
War in Iraq and the
War on Terror.
===Federast=== ''Europe'': A pun on
Pederast and
Federalism used by French politician
Jean_Marie_Le_Pen against those who want the
European_Union to become a federation. The term was originally coined by members of the
Bruges_Group, a
British Euro-sceptic Think_tank founded in the late 1980s.
===Fellow traveller=== People who "walked part of the way" with Communist parties, without actually joining those parties, and without sharing all the watchwords and ideology of Soviet Communism. "Europe:" In pre-war and post-war Europe, the term, carrying no pejorative connotations, was used to describe those who, without being card-carrying Communists, had Communist sympathies, and sometimes acted in close connection with the Third International and the Soviet regime: attending Communist meetings, writing in Communist journals, and even fighting alongside Communists in Spain, Greece or Yugoslavia. Many journalists, intellectuals and artists have been described (and sometimes referred to themselves) as fellow-travellers. ''U.S.'': Term used to describe those who were linked with
Communists, during the
McCarthy_Era. Conservative artist
Norman_Rockwell made a pun of this phrase with a painting of two children walking in the country, entitled "
Fellow Travellers"
===Feminazi=== ''U.S.:'' ''Feminazi'' is a term made popular by conservative radio host
Rush_Limbaugh to refer to women for whom "the most important thing in life is seeing to it that as many
Abortions as possible are performed". The term "Feminista" is also used by other political pundits. 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 allegedly sexist language in daily life.
===Fence-sitter=== One who "sits on the fence", ''i.e.'', refuses to commit himself to either one side of a political issue or the other, preferring to waver in the middle. (Also a term for
bisexuals - see also see
List_of_sexual_slurs.)
===Fiberals/Fibber=== ''CAN'': A derisive term for the
Ontario_Liberal_Party government under Premier
Dalton_McGuinty, who critics charge have broken a great many election promises. This term was introducted after Ontario Finance Minister
Greg_Sorbara added a health premium to cope according to the Liberals with a deficit left by the previous
Progressive Conservative government. The term "Fibber" was also used to describe McGunity himself and synonymus of the word liar and many demonstrations and protests have featured posters and gimmicks of
Pinocchio and the puppet's nose that grows after a lie (or in this case ever broken promise). Fiberal has also been used to describe the federal
Liberal_Party_of_Canada after the
Sponsorship_scandal.
===Fifth column, fifth columnist=== ''Global'': Term for a group of people who
Clandestinely undermines from within a larger group to which it is expected to be loyal, such as a
Nation. The term is also used in reference to a population who are assumed to have loyalties to countries other than those in which they reside. During
World_War_II, the
Japanese_American_internment in the U.S. was justified on the basis that those of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast would act as a fifth column. Today some on the
Right in Western countries see radical
Islamists as being a fifth column of a global
Islamist movement, with its notion of a transnational
Ummah. In
Taiwan, some people suspect there is a fifth column from
Mainland_China working to undermine the cause of
Taiwan_independence. The term originated with a 1936 radio address by
Emilio_Mola, a
Nationalist general during the 1936-39
Spanish_Civil_War. As four of his army
Columns moved on
Madrid, the general referred to his
Militant supporters within the
Capital as his "fifth column," intent on undermining the Republicans from within.
===Flip-Flopper=== A politician who is claimed indecisive by his or her opponent based on an allegedly inconsistent or contradicting voting record and/or speech rhetoric.
===Flunkey=== A politician who is excessively obsequiously subserviant to somebody else.
===Fourth Reich=== ''U.S., Germany'': Used by the political left to refer to
Neo-Nazis (in Germany) or political conservatives generally, especially those actually in power (in U.S.). The term is intended to convey the idea that those so characterized share common views, at least to some degree, with the
Third_Reich of
Adolf_Hitler. It has also taken on a more broadly pejorative meaning as a description of the
European_Union used by
Euroskeptics, wary of the perceived "Germanocentrism" of the Union.
===Freeper=== ''U.S.:'' Term used for active users of conservative blog
Free_Republichttp://www.freerepublic.com. Also used by
Liberal Bloggers (and others on the U.S. political left) as a generic term to describe
Right_wing political activists (whether associated with
Free_Republic or not). Much like the term
Yankee; whether or not '''freeper''' is a pejorative term depends on who is using it.
==G==
== Gang of … === ''U.S.'': The term '''Gang of …''' (insert number) refers to the
Gang_of_Four, close associates of Mao, who ruled the
People's_Republic_of_China after his death. They were overthrown and arrested shortly thereafter. The term can be used to refer to political operatives who are overzealous and ultra-orthodox. In the United Kingdom, the principal founders of the
Social Democratic Party were also known as the 'Gang of Four'. Recently it has been referred to the
Gang_of_Fourteen, a group of Senators, both Democrat and Republican, who negotiated a compromise to avoid the deployment of the so-called
Nuclear_option over the organized use of the filibuster by Senate Democrats in opposition to judicial nominees in the U.S. Senate in early 2005.
===Gay agenda=== ''U.S.'': Phrase used by conservatives to oppose any new extension of legal rights and privileges to homosexuals, on the grounds that homosexuals are seen as working gradually to abolish all sexual morality. Also known as the "militant homosexual agenda."
http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20000918.htm/ ===Girlie Men=== ''U.S.'': Term used by then
California gubernatorial candidate
Arnold_Schwarzenegger to describe his political opponents as "Economic Girlie Men." This term was first popularized by faux bodybuilders
Hans_and_Franz on
Saturday_Night_Live. When Schwarzenegger first used it himself, it drew criticism for being potentially sexist or homophobic; the buzz seems to merely have made Schwarzenegger like the term more.
===Gloom and Doom Democrat=== First used by conservatives in the
Reagan-
Bush years to chastise the large-scale pessimism expressed by
Democratic politicians and question their faith in the American spirit.
===Godless communist=== ''U.S.'': Used by some religious believers, mostly Christian conservatives, as a descriptive term for self professed communists, based on Marx's famous comment that "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opiate of the masses."
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1843/critique-hpr/intro.htm Most
Communist_states have actively tried to discourage organized religion (and often persecuted religious leaders), though only
Albania banned religion outright. The "
Society_of_the_Godless" was an actual organization in the
Soviet_Union for a time. But see also
Religious_communism, which included a movement in the 19th-Century that sought to establish
Utopian communities in the United States.
===Government cheese=== ''U.S.'': Term used by opponents of
Redistribution_of_wealth as a synonym for the government's alleged largess. This term is also used by supporters of
Redistribution_of_wealth as a synonym for the government's alleged parsimony. Also used in urban
Slang to refer to people on welfare (surplus cheese is disbursed to the needy in the U.S.). See "government handouts." The singling out of 'cheese' is possibly due to the rather "unique" texture, odor, and general culinarity qualities (or lack thereof) in the particular cheese distributed by the US government.
===Government handouts=== Term used by opponents of wealth redistribution to imply that unearned entitlements are unjust. Also used by opponents of corporate subsidies to imply that tax relief and aid to for-profit corporations is unjust. ''See also:''
Corporate_welfare ===Granola=== ''U.S. & CAN'': Epithet used to refer to West Coast leftists, based on granola's constituency of
Fruits,
nuts, and
flakes. This food was popularized in the U.S. by members of the 1960s & 1970s counterculture, also lending a leftist slant on the term. This has also been attributed to a routine from the comic
Leo_Gallagher.
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/03/r_politics_kurtz071403.htm ===Greenie or greeny=== An
Environmentalist or
Green party supporter.
===Grit=== ''CAN'': A colloquial term for a member of the
Liberal_Party_of_Canada. In the 1870's, an Upper Canada radical reformist party named the Clear Grits merged with reformers in Quebec to form the Liberals. Clear Grit was a complimentary term meaning tenacious or dedicated. Not pejorative.
===Gun grabber=== ''U.S.'': An accusatory term used by
Gun owners to refer to
gun control advocates or opponents of legal gun ownership. See
Gun_politics_in_the_United_States.
===Gun nut=== ''U.S.'': An accusatory term used by advocates of gun control or opponents of legal gun ownership to characterize gun owners as irrational and obsessive. See
Gun_politics_in_the_United_States ==H==
===Harpercrite=== ''CAN'': A derisive name given to Canadian Prime Minister
Stephen_Harper after he, hours after being sworn into office, proceeded to appoint a former
Liberal cabinet minister who left the Liberal Party to join the now-governing
Conservative_Party_of_Canada to his new cabinet. Harper had openly criticized former prime minister
Paul_Martin's decision to give former Conservative MP
Belinda_Stronach a cabinet posting after she joined the Liberal Party months before. The name may also have been coined in protest against Harper's decision to appoint an unelected individual to the
Canadian_Senate so that he could hold a cabinet position, despite having vowed to implement an elected senate during the election campaign. Both appointments were made at the same time.
===Helengrad=== ''NZ'': Pejorative term in
New_Zealand_politics applied to
New Zealand's capital city
Wellington. It is sometimes used by
New_Zealand_Labour_Party opponents and critics to describe
New_Zealand as a whole and occasionally the fifth Labour government itself.
===Heterophobia, homosexist===
Heterophobia and homosexism are a response to dominant
heteronormative culture, usually expressed by persons of the
LGBT and/or
Queer community. The words were coined by analogy to parallel to the more common practice of
Homophobia and
Heterosexism, but bear a different connotation because of the
Norms mandated by
straight society.
===Hitler=== Used by virtually all sides of all debates with the hope of discrediting opposing viewpoints. For example, with regards to the
2003_invasion_of_Iraq, right-wingers claim that anti-war activists are similar to those who appeased Hitler in the 1930s, while left-wingers claim that supporters of the war are similar to those who helped Hitler. Like "fascist," the strong connotations of "Hitler" often obstruct substantive dialogue. See also
Godwin's_Law.
===Homophobia, heterosexist=== Heterosexism is a belief that
Heterosexuality is the only natural sexual orientation; homophobia was coined by analogy with psychological phobias to mean a dislike of
Homosexuality. Both terms are used to disparage persons and organizations that oppose
Gay_rights.
=== Hoplophobe === A yet to be fully recognized but highly popular term coined by Jeff Cooper, a former Marine, acknowledged as the "Father of Modern Shooting." Denotes virtually anyone who is anti-gun or anti-Second Amendment.
===Human Shill===Contemptuous pun based on "
Human_shield." Term relates to antiwar activists who abandoned their mission in Iraq when they realized they might be placed in harms way.
http://www.biocrawler.com/encyclopedia/Zionazi#Human_Shill ==I==
==Idiotarian=== Used by
Warbloggers (
Weblogging supporters of the
Iraqi_War) to imply that some of their opponents are idiots. It is applied to people who are from both sides of the political spectrum, for example,
Pat_Robertson and
Dennis_Kucinich===India Basher=== ''UK:'' Often used for prominent western politicians who are critial of India as a political entity, and who have supported separationist movements (Khalistan, Nagalim, JK Liberation Front etc.) in India. These include
Edolphus_Towns,
Dan_Burton,
Jesse_James and
Lord_Avebury of the UK.
===International Jewish Conspiracy, International Jewry=== An idea particularly favored by
Hitler,
Henry_Ford,
Charles_Lindbergh, other
Anti-Semites, and many Arab governments, that said that there was an international conspiracy of Jews to dominate the rest of mankind.
The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion, allegedly written by Jews, has been used as evidence - even though it was actually a proven forgery written by a German agitator and widely used by the
Okhranka (the secret police of
Tsarist_Russia). ''International Jewry'' is occasionally used non-pejoratively to refer to Jews worldwide, e.g.
http://www.jewishkansascity.org/section_display.html?id=29.
===Islamofascism or Islamic fascism=== Used to compare the ideological or operational characteristics of certain modern
Islamist movements with
European
Fascist movements of the early
20th_century,
Neofascist movements, or
Totalitarianism.Whether this is pejorative and/or a true description is a subject of debate. Organizations that have been labeled Islamofascist include
Al-Qaeda, the current
Iranian government, (
here), the
Taliban, the
Muslim_Brotherhood,
Hamas, and
Hezbollah. None label themselves fascist, however, and critics of the term argue that associating the religion of
Islam with fascism is both offensive and historically inaccurate. See:
Islamofascism_(term),
Neofascism_and_religion#Islam ==J==
===Jack-Booted Thugs=== This term was used in the 1990s (when
Janet_Reno was
U.S. Attorney General) by the American
political right (most especially by the
Radio Talk_show host
G._Gordon_Liddy) to describe
federal law enforcement officers who were perceived to be overly aggressive or to be using
excessive force in the execution of their duties. The term was especially applied to members of the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (when making arrests and seizing guns), to the
U.S. Marshals Service and the
FBI (for the
Ruby Ridge incident and the assault on the
David_Koresh compound in
Waco,_Texas), and to the
Immigration_and_Naturalization_Service (for the taking into federal custody of
Elián_González). In 1995, Executive Vice President of the
NRA Wayne_LaPierre penned a
Fundraising letter in which he referred to federal law enforcement agents as "jack-booted thugs." While not written in relationship to the tragedy, the letter was mailed shortly after the bombing of the
Alfred_P._Murrah_Federal_Building in
Oklahoma_City. The letter prompted the resignation of many long-standing NRA members including former President
George_H._Bush. This term is considered by some to be the flip-side of the term "Pig," which was used by the American
political left to describe law enforcement officers (and others in authority) in the 1960s.
=== JewNazi, Judeo-Nazi, Zionazi === Terms used by particularly vocal opponents of
Israel and
Zionism and some
anti-Semites http://www.adl.org/CAMPUS/campus_incidents.asp http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/jewishsociety/Rude_Awakenings.asp http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2002-3/arab.htm http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/var/26e.htmhttp://www.adl.org/Anti_semitism/arab/as_arabmedia_07_04/arab_media_07_04.pdf http://www.wiesenthal.com/atf/cf/{DFD2AAC1-2ADE-428A-9263-35234229D8D8}/ResponseIssue1.pdf http://mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0dct0 who advocate the view that aspects of
Judaism,
Zionism, or Israeli government policy towards
Arabs and
Muslims are
fascist or similar to behavior thought typical of
Nazis. The
European_Monitoring_Centre_on_Racism_and_Xenophobia (EUMC), part of the
Council_of_Europe, has stated that comparing "contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis" is one example of the way "in which anti-Semitism manifests itself with regard to the State of Israel."
http://eumc.eu.int/eumc/material/pub/AS/AS-WorkingDefinition-draft.pdf In
2003,
Google_News described the term "Zionazi" as a "degrading, hateful slur" and refused to index
San Francisco Independent_Media_Center (SF Indymedia) because it used it; SF Indymedia agreed that it "could be considered
Hate_speech. "
http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/09/1639862.php See also:
Neofascism_and_religion#Judaism ===Judeo-bolshevism=== Term used in
Nazi_Germany to refer to
Jews and
communists, implying that the communist movement served Jewish interests and/or that all Jews were communists. Compare the Polish term "
Żydokomuna.
==K==
===Kangaroo court=== ''International'': Pejorative term for allegedly sham legal proceedings where the verdict or finding was predetermined.
===Knee Jerk=== A term used to imply either that the subject is so committed to a political position that they react reflexively without thinking, or, more often of a policy, that the reaction is disproportionate or ill-thought-out.
===Know-Nothing Party=== ''U.S.'': Pejorative term for the
United_States_American_Party, an
1850s political party that was opposed to the
United_States_Free_Soil_Party, the
United_States_Whig_Party, the Democrats, and the Republicans. When asked about its activities or agenda, members were directed by their leadership to answer "I know nothing," providing seed for an insulting
Double_entendre.
==L==
==Lackey=== A term used by various political groups to describe low level functionaries serving the interests of their enemies.
===Left Coast=== ''U.S.,Canada:'' Term used by American conservatives when referring to the many liberals who live on the
West Coast of the United States. Also used by Canadian conservatives when referring to persons perceived as being Left of centre politically usually in the Vancouver-Victoria areas.
===Liarbour=== ''NZ:'' Commonly used by
New_Zealand_Labour_Party opponents, usually in the
Blogosphere, to imply that the
Labour Party lies.
===Liberal press=== Term is used by many conservative commentators accusing the press, especially in the
United_States, of having a
Liberal bias. Compare with
Corporate Press.
===Libranos=== ''CAN:'' Used by
Blogging_Tories to refer to the Liberal Party of Canada during the sponsorship scandal to depict them as a mob family similar to the one featured in
HBO's
The_Sopranos tv series. This epithet was popularized by a poster issued by the ''
Western_Standard'' magazine and is often used in conjunction with
Alfonso_Gagliano, a cabinet minister of Italian descent accused of having mob ties by
New_York_Post. Also spelled ''Librano$''
===Libtard=== Commonly used by conservative bloggers as an insult toward the intelligence of liberals, combining liberal and retard.
===Lieberals=== ''CAN:'' Derisive term, comparable to
Fiberals, used to describe the
Liberal_Party_of_Canada and commonly the
Liberal_Party_of_Ontario. It has also been used by conservatives in other countries to describe liberals.
===Likudnik=== ''US: Israel:'' Supporter of the right-wing Israeli Likud Party. Related to
Neoconservative.
===Limousine Liberal=== ''U.S.:'' Pejorative term for a wealthy person with liberal ideology. One who expresses a deep concern for the poor, but is not actually directly engaged with them on a day to day basis. Compare with
Corporate-jet conservative ===Lincoln Logs=== ''U.S.'': Gay members of the Republican party. From the name of the gay Republican group, the
Log_Cabin_Republicans.
===Loony Left=== ''UK'': A term referring to the
Far_left, principally used by newspapers of the
United_Kingdom in the
1980s to refer to the
Labour Party, especially in local government, accompanying accusations that some Labour-run councils seemed more interested in advancing left-wing positions on
Sexism,
Racism and
Gay_rights than on providing services to local residents.
==M==
===The Man=== ''North America'': A term associated with the
Counterculture and used to describe higher authority. This "Man" does not usually refer to a specific individual as such, but instead to the
Government, leaders of large
Corporations and other authority figures; its meaning is
Pejorative. "The Man" is colloquially defined as the figurative person who controls our world. The Man is also often used as a symbol of racial
Oppression. The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe perceived oppression, but in modern times it is most often used facetiously in an ironically resigned fashion. Also common is the phrase "working for the Man," which typically means to work for a difficult or overly authoritarian boss. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist"; however, this is also mostly used facetiously. However, when applied to a specific person, the phrase "the man" is a compliment, such as someone saying "you the man!" when one did something extremely well. ===Manarchist=== ''U.S.'': Term used by some feminists to refer to male members of the left wing who hold fast to several conservative viewpoints on women, and their worth and role in society, tending to the
misogynist.
Bertolt_Brecht was a good example, along with
Arthur_Koestler.
===Man-hater=== ''U.S.'': Term most commonly used to describe feminists alleged to hold excessivly negative attitudes towards men, especially those who are
Lesbians.
===Maoist=== When used as an epithet, it is most often a term used by some moderate leftists to disparage the tactics of the far left as reminiscent of the extreme measures undertaken by
Mao_Zedong. See also "Stalinist."
===McCarthyism=== ''U.S.'': Used to refer to the aggressive investigation of those who held or were said to support
Communist agendas based on associations with Communist or leftist groups. In a more general sense, it refers to attempts to remove someone from their position by invoking real or alleged past political associations (a reference to Senator
Joseph_McCarthy).
===Montagnards=== ''France'': Term for the extreme left of France. The name is derived from their seats on the
Legislative Assembly in
Revolutionary France. The most extreme members of the Left sat in the highest seats on the left side of the chamber. As such, they became known as "Montagnards" (Mountain dwellers in English). Correspondingly this is also the origin of the political terms "Left" and "Right", as the more left leaning members of the assembly sat on the left side of the chamber, and vice versa. The name is also used to denote the
Degar, a minority ethnic group in the highlands of
Vietnam which took an anti-Hanoi stance during the
Vietnam_War; however it is not pejorative in this sense.
===Moonbat=== Moonbat is a political epithet coined in 2002 by
Perry_de_Havilland of
Samizdata.net a libertarian weblog. Although the term enjoys great currency in the libertarian and conservative blogosphere as an all-purpose insult for modern liberals, peace protestors, and other ideological opponents, that was not the original intention as it was just as often used to describe the more extreme elements of libertarian or paleo-conservative thought. According to de Havilland, a moonbat is "someone on the extreme edge of whatever their -ism happens to be". Adriana Cronin defines the term as "someone who sacrifices sanity for the sake of consistency". It was intended to be used in reference to people on both the political Left and Right and all shades between. The epithet is often rendered as
Barking Moonbat. Similarly, former Vice President
Al_Gore is sometimes referred to as "Emperor of the Moon" in the animated series ''
Futurama''.
===Moonies=== ''U.S.'': Moonie/s is used in reference to followers of
Reverend_Moon, founder of the
Unification_Church in Washington D.C. Many prominent conservatives and Republicans, such as
Ronald_Reagan have ties to the church or to Moon. Moon's church has been accused of cult-like practices, this epithet is used to denote a cult-like attitude on the part of those being described. The epithet can also be used to call attention to the target's ties to the Unification Church.
===MOPE/s=== ''U.K.'': MOPE/s stands for "Most Oppressed People Ever" and is used as an insult for a particularly bitter type of
Irish_Republicanism which laments the perceived often over-stated and exaggerated "Oppression" in Ireland under British rule. It is most often used by
Irish Unionists in
Northern_Ireland.
===Mourning in America=== A variation of the phrase "Morning in America" first used in a speech by former Republican President Ronald Reagan (and later adopted as a campaign theme for his 1984 re-election bid). "Mourning in America" was intended to suggest that Reagan's policies led to vast depression and woe for disenfranchised people.
===Muckraker=== Journalists who expose unpleasant information, usually about powerful people, big business, or organizations; often in a
sensationalist manner. Derives from a quote by
Theodore_Roosevelt about early 1900s journalists like Ida Tarbell and others. Also used in relation to current figures such as consumer advocate Ralph Nader and filmmaker Michael Moore. Some "muckrakers" take pride in the title despite its sometimes pejorative usage. See also:
Yellow_Journalism===Mugwump=== Historical term based on Republicans that supported Grover Cleveland during the 1884 elections over the Republican candidate James Blaine.
==N==
==Nanny State=== British term to describe derisively the
Welfare_state, or an overly protective rule-governed society that treats its citizens as a grandmother would babysit her grandchildren.
===National Socialist=== Term sometimes used by conservatives instead of the more common "Nazi" appellation to cast negative aspersions on liberals and socialists. Usage is based on the fact that the Nazi Party was officially founded as the "
National_Socialist_German_Workers'_Party" in order to attract working class votes, despite its opposition to a socialist economic system. The term is sometimes just used in place of "Nazi" to try to avoid hyperbole or potential violations of
Godwin's_Law (see below). It should be noted that the Nazis imprisoned and killed communists and socialists (along with other political rivals), during their ascent and rule. See
Nazism and socialism.
===Nattering nabobs of negativity=== ''U.S.'' From a famous quote of Vice President
Spiro_Agnew decrying what he described as the
Liberal_bias of the mainstream media. More recently, American conservatives have used the term to represent the same perceived over-representation of left wing viewpoints in the media. The term was penned by
William_Safire, then a
White_House speechwriter.
===Nazi=== The term "Nazi" is overused by people of all political stripes to describe or insult their opposition. The multiple atrocities and racist ideology that the Nazis followed have made them notorious in popular culture as well as history. Today, the term "Nazi" is often used to describe individuals or groups of people who try to force an unpopular or extreme agenda on the general population, and also commit crimes or violent actions against others without remorse. The term is also often simply used as an all-purpose insult. The modern overuse of "Nazi" is best expressed by
Godwin's_Law, in which any debate is said to be lost by the first party to use the terms "Nazi" or "Hitler" in their argument. See also
Reductio_ad_Hitlerum.
===Neo-appeasement=== ''U.S.'': Used to describe the views of those who advocated a United Nations directed solution before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, based on the view that the U.N. was repeatedly ineffective in enforcing its own sanctions and resolutions. Suggests that the policy was reminiscient of the appeasement policies of Western Europe and the League of Nations prior to World War II.
===Neoconservative, Neocon=== ''U.S.'': When many prominent members of the
George_W._Bush administration were identified as
neoconservatives by the press, the terms "neoconservative" and "neocon" became ephitets applied to the Bush administration and its supporters, regardless of the more precise meaning of the term. It was exploited into obscure meanings based on opposition partisan perceptions of a rift in the GOP. Variants include "Neocon Death Cult" (used extensively on
Air_America_Radio, particularly on its ''
Morning_Sedition'' program), "neocunt" (particularly in reference to the right-wing columnist
Ann_Coulter), "neoconartist," "neoconazi," and "neo-crazy."
===Neo-confederate=== ''U.S.:'' Sometimes used as a disparaging term for persons who look favorably upon aspects of the American
South or southern culture. Used for groups and persons that advocate certain positions associated with the
Confederate_States_of_America such as
State's_rights and preservation of traditional culture.
===Neoliberal, Neoliberalism=== When used neutrally, the term refers to economic policies in favor of
Deregulation,
Globalization and
Laissez-faire Capitalism. It is often used pejoratively by opponents of such policies, and is interchanged with: *''
Thatcherism'', in reference to former Prime Minister
Margaret_Thatcher (UK). *''
Rogernomics'', in reference to former Finance Minister
Roger_Douglas (NZ). *''
Reaganomics'', in reference to former President
Ronald_Reagan (U.S.).
===Neverendum=== ''CAN'': Refers to the repeated attempts by
Quebec sovereigntists to pass a
Referendum in favor of
Independence.
===New Age=== This epithet for impractical political and social philosophies that emerge from
Emotionalism and
Spirituality, rather than
rational,
philosophical and
scientific views, is sometimes used pejoratively as "New Age." Use by religious conservatives, scientists and others has caused the term "New Age" to sometimes have a derogatory connotation. However, many bookstores have "New Age" sections, with books relating to spiritualism. Some bookstores have re-named these sections "Metaphysical Studies," though some complain that this is mischaracterization, as "Metaphysical Studies" implies philosophical rigor.
==O==
=== Orthodox Taliban === ''
Serbia_and_Montenegro (and, possibly, other
Orthodox Christian countries)'': 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.
===Outside Agitators=== ''U.S.:''
1960s Term used by
Southern Democrats to refer to activists from outside their states sent to help
African-Americans exercise their civil rights, with the implication that "our Negros" were perfectly happy and content with their lot in life before they started being stirred up by the "outside agitators". Typically applied to instigators of the activity, such as organizers, leaders, and so forth. The term briefly saw use outside the south (e.g. the
Kent_State_University demonstration in
1970).
==P==
===Pajamahadeen/Pajamahadin=== A merging of the words
Mujahideen and
Pajamas, used by members of the traditional media to describe
Bloggers attempting to publicise errors and inadequacies in traditional reporting, especially on political issues. The most notable example of this was the uncovering by bloggers of fraudulent memos (the
Killian_documents) used by CBS in a story during the 2004 U.S. Presidential Campaign. Pajamahadeen was chosen as one of the American Dialect Society's words of the year for 2004. Some bloggers use the title about themselves to give the impression that they are a kind of uprising against the
Mainstream_media.
===Peacenik=== Originating in the U.S. it is applied to advocates of U.S. withdrawal from the
Vietnam_War, to
pacifists in general, and later to advocates of Western rapprochement with the
Soviet_Union during the
Cold_War, for instance through
Arms_control. The
Russian -nik makes reference to ''
Beatnik'', implying the individual is impractical in outlook, but particularly the Soviet satellite
Sputnik, implying the individual is a communist or sympathetic to that cause.
===Peoples' Republic of California=== ''U.S.'': Used by conservatives in
California to describe the state itself, known for being liberal-leaning, or certain smaller cities in California known to be decidedly liberal such as
Berkeley,
Santa Monica, and
West Hollywood. Derived from the official names of several
Communist_states, including the
Peoples'_Republic_of_China, and from the
California_Republic.
Boulder,_Colorado is also often referred to as a Peoples' Republic, as are
Madison,_Wisconsin,
Ann_Arbor,_Michigan and
Austin,_Texas. In the
United_Kingdom, the
Conservative MP
Irvine_Patnick coined the phrase 'Socialist Republic of
South_Yorkshire' to highlight the predominance of the left-wing of the
Labour Party in the county.
===Presidentialization=== Used to criticise circumstances if political power in a traditionally consensus-based
Cabinet is tacitly centralised by its leader.
===Pig=== A term used by some people, mostly on the American political
left, to refer to
Police_officers and other authority figures. Although the term dates back to the early 1800's, it gained its greatest notoriety and usage in America in the 1960's (See also: "Jack-Booted Thugs" as a term once used by the American political right as an epithet for federal police officers).
===Piggo=== A term used by some people, mostly
Feminists, to refer to males they consider sexist, e.g. ''male chauvinist pigs''.
===Pink Lady=== ''U.S.'': A term coined by
Richard_Nixon to describe those he considered "Soft on Communism," particularly
Helen_Gahagan.
===Pinko=== {{main|Pinko}} Used to refer to a person allegedly sympathetic to a
Communist_Party and/or the
Soviet_Union during the
Cold_War but not an outright
Communist. Often used by people on the right to describe leftists. Similar in meaning to "
Fellow traveller". The identification of
Communism with "Socialist" red (and with red being the primary color of the flag of the
Soviet_Union) led to such
Cold_War phrases as "the Red Menace" and "
Red China". Hence "Pinko," pink being a light red. Also "pinko commie." Also "commie pinko fag" and "pinko commie fag".
http://www.michaelmaasmusic.com/lyrics/river_summer.html "Parlor pink" (or "parlor radical") was a term used in the mid-20th century to describe wealthy leftists supposedly sympathetic to communism, especially those working in the
Film_industry.
===Political correctness=== Political correctness is a term for efforts to modify language and behavior in an attempt to make it less offensive to certain groups. As an epithet, it implies that such an effort is so broad or excessive as to stifle uninhibited expression or marginalize historically-dominant groups. It is traditionally an epithet used against groups on the left, but the term "right-wing political correctness" or "right-wing PC" has become used in the
1990s and
2000s as well.
===Pollyanna=== A term for a person or policy, of any political stripe, considered excessively or blindly optimistic or idealistic.
===Poverty pimp=== A derogatory label for an individual who profits by acting as an "advocate" for his ethnic group or social class, without having their best interests at heart. It may also imply that the individual may not be interested in remediating poverty out of fear of undercutting their own position, (purported examples -
Al_Sharpton,
Jesse_Jackson)
===Pro-abortion=== ''U.S.:'' A term used by the
Pro-life movement to describe those who support the legalization of abortion. The term "pro-death" is more inflammatory.
==Q==
==Quisling=== A term used to describe
Traitors and
collaborationists.
==R==
===Racist=== Traditionally, one who discriminates or is prejudiced based on race. As a pejorative, anyone who disagrees with a controversial policy or idea that seeks to benefit a minority race, such as
Affirmative_Action. Also occasionally applied to those advocating such policies or ideas, with the implication that they are racist against the majority race.
===Race-baiter=== Race-baiters allegedly abuse charges of
Racism as political epithets in an attempt to stifle debate, stir up controversy, or to silence political opponents. Examples of race-baiters are Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton,
Louis_Farrakhan, and
Joseph_Lowery.
===Race traitor=== A term used by
racists for those who are of their own "race", but who don't share their views, or who work against their interests, or who have intimate relationships with members of other "races".
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=race+traitor Also a self-referential term for persons who seek to abolish the white race and "whiteness."
===Radical=== Originally part of an
Analogy with the roots of a plant (Latin: Radix), in Britain in the
1830s it referred to those who wanted to change the voting system by starting afresh, rather than incremental reforms. It is now used in relation to any topic and usually describes a person or a policy to the extreme left of the political mainstream, though it may describe people or policies of any political bent with whom the speaker disagrees. A radical is certainly not a conservative, but may wish to reform policy in a right-wing direction. "Radical" — often shortened to "rad" — became a compliment when used by members of
Generation_X in the
1980s, its closest synonym being "cool." ===Radical Republican=== {{main|Radical Republican}} Derogatory term applied to the supporters of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party by pro-slavery Democrats in the early 1860s; also used to refer to the wing of the Republican Party which wanted to harshly punish the South after the
American_Civil_War. Term used to describe the ascendent conservative wing of the Republican Party after gaining elected majority of Congress in 1994, and to those Republicans perceived to be following a highly activist agenda. Somewhat limited use.
===Randroid=== This is a
Pejorative term for the followers of
Ayn_Rand's
Objectivism. It is a
Portmanteau of Rand's name with the word
Android, suggesting a
Robot-like adherence to the ideology (and indirectly, that the ideology could not be supported by people who think independently). The word may have been coined in response to the way in which Ayn Rand and other Objectivists rejected and strongly condemned any philosophical or political ideas that do not fully agree with Objectivism. Most notable was Ayn Rand's virulent opposition to
Libertarianism, even though libertarians have much in common with Objectivism. Some observers, such as libertarian
Murray_N._Rothbard, consider Objectivism to be highly
Dogmatic and
Cult-like.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard23.html Justin_Raimondo has referred to Objectivism as a "death cult";
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/raimondo1.html for what he perceives as the
Ayn_Rand_Institute's open support for the large-scale killing of civilians in the
Middle_East.
===Reactionary=== Advocate of a return to a discredited social order and/or the restoration of privileges to the formerly privileged. Originated as a term to describe aristocratic opponents of the French Revolution. The term carries the connotation of an extreme "turn back the clock" mentality; by implication, a reactionary is not only a political conservative, but a dedicated ideological advocate of a return to an idealized past age that may in fact have never existed. The classical reactionary of the era of the French Revolution idealized the "organic" society of the Middle Ages, with its clearly-defined, hierarchical social roles from the lowliest serf up through the king on his throne and God in Heaven. Similarly, modern-day Islamic fundamentalists build modern political movements based on notions of a "pure" Islamic society that probably never existed; and the Nazis sought to construct an ideal "Aryan" racial order that was without precedent in real history, but which Nazi racial theorists justified with references to "nature," or sometimes to a mythologized "Aryan" historical past. All of these movements are considered reactionary, although they are sometimes described as advocates of a "reactionary
Utopia."
===Reaganite/Reaganism=== ''U.S.:'' Used by opponents of the Republican Party to equate their policies and ways with those of former president
Ronald_Reagan. This term has been appropriated by some American conservatives, who wear the adjective as a badge of honor. ''See also:''
Neoliberalism===Red=== Used to describe communists, or people and institutions believed to be communist, or people and institutions seen as supporting communism. Typical examples of usage include Red
Dean_Acheson, or Red China. In the United States in the
2000s, it has also become used to describe the
Republican Party, its members and supportive institutions, and states in which the Republican Party is dominant, often - but not always - in a pejorative manner. See
Red_states. In Germany, most parties are associated with a color, Red stands for both the large
Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany (''SPD'') and a number of smaller left parties, including the
German_Communist_Party (''KPD'') and the newer
Left Party (Germany). It is often used when describing government coalitions, a coalition of SPD and the
Green Party is called a Red-Green coalition, a coalition of SPD and Left Party a Red-Red coalition (found in some state or communal governments), the current
Grand_coalition between CDU and SPD is sometimes referred to as Black-Red.
===Red Agitator=== ''U.S.:'' early-to-mid
1900s. Used to refer to those perceived as leftist radicals. Less often used to refer to people who were trying to form labor unions or to organize
African-Americans and other disenfranchised groups. Typically applied to instigators of the activity, such as organizers, union representatives, leaders, and so forth. See ''
Bolshevik''.
===Redneck=== A term used to denigrate
Rural people, particularly
Midwesterners,
Appalachians or
Southerners in the
United_States. Also used as a
classist term to denigrate poor white people.
===Red Tory=== ''CAN'': A member of the more left-leaning wing of any of the Conservative ("Tory") parties in
Canada. More often used as a neutral or positive descriptor or self-description than an epithet. See also
Blue_Tory.
===Regressive Conservatives=== ''CAN'': An ironic inversion of "Progressive Conservative" (still used for many provincial conservative parties), this epithet suggests the party is not as
progressive as its name suggests. May also be used to contrast the
Conservative_Party_of_Canada with the former federal Progressive Conservative party.
===Reich Winger=== A term used to refer to an extreme right wing conservative.
===Republicrat, Big Business Party=== Used by opponents to indicate their belief that the
U.S. Democratic Party and
U.S. Republican Party are very similar to each other. Same as "Demopublican".
===Rethuglican, Repug, Repuke, Repugnican, Repubiklan, etc.=== ''U.S.:'' Purposeful misspellings and overt puns on party names have been prevalent on the U.S. internet in the past few years, particularly when elections are near.
===Reverse racism & reverse discrimination=== Pejorative terms for
Affirmative_action, racial quotas, set-asides, and other forms of racial preferences.
===Revisionist===
Marxist term, describing those who support a different variety of Marxism than the person using the term. Among historians, '''revisionism''' has traditionally been used in both neutral and pejorative senses to describe the work or ideas of a historian who has ''revised'' a previously accepted view of a particular topic. When used pejoratively, the term implies that the historian is intentionally distorting or misrepresenting the historical record in order to advance a political agenda. See
Historical_revisionism. This usage has declined amongst some historians because within the field of Holocaust studies revisionism has come to specifically designate historical work which aims to
deny the extent of the Jewish
Holocaust. However, in this context, the term "revisionist" is sometimes considered a whitewash of a spurious point of view more properly termed "Holocaust denial."
===RINO=== The term is a semi-acronym of "Republican in name only". It is used by the more conservative members of the Republican party toward members of the more liberal or moderate wing. An anologous term DINO refers to "Democrats in name only".
===Rightard=== Combining ''right'' and ''
Retard'' as an insult toward the intelligence of the right wing.
===Rightist, Rightist Opportunist=== ''People's Republic of China'': used by the Communist Party to refer to right-leaning communists and
pragmatists. Especially during Mao's
Cultural_Revolution. The term was used to label Marshal Peng and his followers, who had voiced criticism to the Great Leap Forward.
===Rootless cosmopolitan=== ''Soviet Union'': The
Stalinists used this phrase to describe Jews in the Soviet Union during the period of 1948-1953.
===Roundhead=== ''UK:'' Moniker given to supporters of the
Parliamentarian cause in the
English_Civil_War. The Roundheads were so called because of their short haircuts, as opposed to the long ringlets of the fashionable courtiers.
===Running dog of…=== ''People's Republic of China'': Variously phrased as "Running dog of the imperialists", "Capitalist running dogs" and so on. Refers to enemies seen as doing work against China for the benefit of, or on the orders of, capitalist countries. Used globally to refer to anyone seen as serving Capitalism or the wealthy. Almost always used by native-language English speakers sarcastically, jocularly, or in a humorously-altered form. See also "Lackey."
==S==
===Scalawag=== ''U.S.:'' A term used after the
American_Civil_War in the
Southern_United_States to pejoratively describe Southerners who participated in, or profitted from
Reconstruction governments. Also Southerners who collaborated with the Federal Government and/or Union Army during the Civil War. See also ''
Carpetbagger''.
===Second Gilded Age=== ''U.S.:'' A term used by liberals and others to deride the (alleged) pro-corporate/
supply-side policies of recent administrations, in particular the
U.S. Republican Party (though many include
Bill_Clinton due to his support of
Free_trade). The term is derived from the
Gilded_Age in the U.S. (1873-1900), when government power was widely and openly deployed to further the interests of corporations and the wealthy at the expense of the common man; when
monopolies dominated trade within the U.S.; when the U.S. military was primarily used for
imperialistic purposes (both abroad, and against
Native Americans); when the
Financial_markets were widely infected with graft and corruption; and when
Social_Darwinism was widely touted as sound economic and social policy. As many Americans view the time as a backwards era (and the
Progressive_Movement and
New_Deal which followed as improvements), the term is generally viewed as a slur.
===Securocrat=== ''Ireland'': Term used by
Irish republicans to denigrate those in the
United_Kingdom government and
Ulster_Unionist_Party who use criminal records as a reason to exclude certain
Republicans from government.
===Self-hating Jew=== ''U.S./UK'': term used to describe Jews who either hide, are ashamed of their religion or understate their ethnicity. Also used to describe Jews who are seen by their accuser as working against the interests of the Jewish people, or those Jews who criticize
Israel's actions. (See:
Jewish self-hatred)
===Self-loathing Queer=== Sometimes abbreviated to 'SLQ'; used within the gay community to refer to those who are gay but not in support of a particular gay rights policy demand. Some open homosexuals use this epithet to describe gay people who have not yet
come out of
The_closet, and oppose (or remain silent on) gay rights in order to deflect suspicion about their own sexuality.
===SinoFascism=== Term coined by British political commentator
John_Derbyshire for the belligerent and racist form of patriotism currently being promoted by the Chinese Communist Party among Chinese institutions and youth.
http://www.olimu.com/Journalism/Texts/Commentary/SinoFascism.htm Also used by others as commentary on modern China - which has retained the authoritarianism of communism, abandoned Marxist economic principles, and embraced capitalism without any of the protections enjoyed by workers in western countries.
===Smoke and mirrors=== A derogatory term for political policies and/or programs that are allegedly based on trickery or illusion. It is also used to suggest that a policy or program with supposed great expectations, will be impossible or extremely difficult to implement, and ultimately end in failure. The following quote demonstrates a common political usage: "The DEA budget is just "smoke and mirrors."
===Snake Oil=== ''U.S.'': A derogatory term for policies implied to be false, fraudulent, and/or impractical and ineffective. The expression is also applied
metaphorically to any policy with exaggerated, but questionable or unverifiable quality or utility. The term is based on "Snake oil", a
Traditional_Chinese_medicine with very limited medical value, typically sold by unscrupulous peddlers in 19th-Century America.
===Soft on Communism=== ''U.S.:'' A term for the liberal left, used until the fall of Soviet communism in the early 1990s. Leftist politicians often believed in accomodating the Soviet Union, even adopting their line, e.g.
Bertrand_Russell's famous line, "Better red than dead."
===Soft on Crime=== ''U.S.:'' A term for civil libertarians used by law and order interests. This term suggests that civil libertarians are more concerned with the "rights of criminals" than the "rights of crime victims" or "law abiding citizens."
===Special Rights=== ''U.S.:'' A term used by opponents of gay activism, to oppose further extension of the gay agenda. It is claimed by these opponents that gay-rights legislation, rather than simply granting equality to sexual minorities in some fashion, would instead grant them rights and privileges above and beyond what are enjoyed by heterosexuals.
===Spineless Liberal=== ''U.S.:'' A term term employed by both conservatives and
Anarchists to criticize liberals, especially those involved in the Democratic Party. Conservatives have used the term to denounce those whom they perceive as not taking a definitive stand on issues. Anarchists typically use the term to differentiate themselves from those who might agree with them on specific issues, but disagree about whether
Reformism or revolutionary change is a solution. This view is expressed in the
Against_Me song "Baby, I'm an Anarchist." The term can be used generally to refer to liberals that hold certain beliefs, but fail to take to action in support of them.{{fact}} ===Splittist=== ''China:'' Term used by the government of
The_People's_Republic_of_China to refer to individuals or organisations that support
Taiwan_Independence in any manner whatsoever. Also used to refer to those advocating independence for
Tibet and/or
Xinjiang.
===Spoiler=== ''U.S.:'' A term for third party candidates that are seen as "spoiling" the chances of election for Democratic or Republican candidates. The "spoiling" comes from dividing the base of prospective voters.
Ralph_Nader has been called a spoiler by Democrats, and
Ross_Perot Sr. has been called a spoiler by Republicans.
===Stalinist=== ''International:'' Although originally coined by
Trotsky as a term for an authoritarian
Degenerated_workers_state, rather than
proletarian communism, Stalinism has been described as being synonymous with left wing
Totalitarianism, or a tyrannical regime. The term has been used to describe regimes that fight political dissent through violence, imprisonment, and killings. See also "
Maoist."
===Statist=== ''U.S.:'' Generally used by
libertarians to describe those who support government regulation of any economic or social issues. The term is also used as an adjective for a particular stance on an issue where government influence is positively viewed as a solution to a given problem. ("...a statist policy...") The term is particularly felt as pejorative by those who purport to be in favor of restricting government power, such
Republicans.
===Star Chamber=== ''UK:'' Historical British term for a secret court no longer in operation within the British system of
Jurisprudence. This court could hear all cases short of capital crimes. Use of this term now connotes secret political dealings, or a lack of transparency in politics or government. Used by persons of all political stripes to defame their opponents. See also "
Troika".
===Starr Chamber=== ''US:'' Relates to Star Chamber above, refers to American lawyer/politician
Kenneth_Starr, whose campaign against President
Bill_Clinton was seen by many as a conservative crusade to land an impeachment against a Democratic president.
==T==
===Taliban wing of the Republican Party=== ''U.S.:'' Used by detractors of the
Religious_right, to associate the social policies favored by parts of the
U.S. Republican Party with the radically repressive social policies of the
Taliban. The term was less widely used after the
September_11,_2001_attacks by
Al-Qaeda, when comparisons to the Taliban, with which the United States was soon at war, became more inflammatory, but made a comeback during the
U.S._presidential_election,_2004.
===Tar Baby=== U.S. Politicians and their spokespeople have occasionally run afoul of black leaders by using the term "tar baby" to describe a sticky political situation.http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/31/massachusetts_governor_apologizes_for_calling_big_dig_tar_baby/ A 19th century
Uncle_Remus story, animated in the segment of
Disney's
Song_of_the_South entitled "Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby", tells of a doll made of tar that traps Br'er Rabbit because it refuses to reply to his greeting. Though originally describing a sticky trap, it has also been used as a derogatory term for a black person.
===Tax and Spend Liberal=== ''U.S.'': Used by conservatives to label liberals as favoring a cycle of continually increasing taxes and government spending, without regard to effectiveness or efficiency. High federal budget deficits during the
Reagan_Administration afforded Democrat
Michael_Dukakis the opportunity to label his opponents "spend and spend Republicans." The
Bush administration's deficits inspired the coinage Borrow and Spend Republican.
===Tax Cut and Spend Republican=== ''U.S.'': Used by liberals to frame conservatives as favoring a cycle of increasing taxes for the middle class and poor, decreasing social spending and giving tax cuts to the super-rich and at the same time increasing military spending and depleting the economy. This term frames Republicans for their record budget deficits during the
George_W._Bush administration.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100300322.html ===Thatcherism/Thatcherite=== ''UK'': A term used by opponents of the Conservative party to equate their policies with those of former prime minister
Margaret_Thatcher. The "Iron Lady" had a reputation for her abrasive personality, toughness, aggressiveness, and tendency to be politically divisive. Thatcher was also called a "warmonger" by the Labour Party for Britain's military defense of the
Falkland_Islands from Argentine invasion/occupation. See also "
Reaganite."
===Theoconservative, Theocon=== ''U.S.'': A variation of "
Neoconservative", this epithet is a
Pun that plays off the Greek word
Theos, meaning "God". In particular, it refers to members of the Republican party and other conservative parties who cite their religion, particularly Christianity, as an important part of their political beliefs.
===Toghe Rosse=== ''Italy'': This term, meaning "''red robes''", is used by right-wing politician
Silvio_Berlusconi to explain his long personal history of trials that saw him prescripted on most of the cases. According to Berlusconi there was, and still is, a left-wing conspiracy against him comprehending even Guardia di Finanza (a branch of Italian police dedicated to fiscal frauds) besides the already mentioned ''politicized magistrates''. Before this judges have been already accused of a Communist conspiracy by mafia man Totò Riina as a line of defense in his trial, but it was Berlusconi who coined this slang term.
===Tree hugger=== Used to refer to environmentally minded activists, and appropriated in most circumstances. It originated from people chaining themselves to trees to prevent logging, as well as the image of
Hippies expressing affection towards nature by literally hugging trees. The name of the
Chipko_movement in India literally means "tree-hugging".
===Trickle-down theory=== A characterization, primarily by US
Democrats, of
Republican arguments that reduced taxes for the wealthy will indirectly benefit the general population
===Troika=== Among other meanings, the Russian term refers to three-member tribunals. In
Soviet_times, these tribunals could hear any case and frequently pronounced the death sentence. Use of this term now connotes secret/sinister political dealings, or a lack of transparency in politics. Used by persons of all political stripes to defame their opponents. See also "
Star Chamber". The term translates as "threesome" and is used in this context to refer to the three Foreign Ministers of the
European_Union representing the previous, current, and future Presidents of the Council of Ministers.
===Trotskyite=== Used by many
Stalinists and
Maoists to insult party members who didn't toe the orthodox party line. Named for
Leon_Trotsky, a Soviet
Bolshevik opposed to
Joseph_Stalin and his "betrayal" of the
Russian_Revolution_of_1917. Trotsky believed that revolution should be continuous and argued for putting political power in the hands of the people. This angered the entrenched leadership, eventually leading to his death in Mexico City from a political assassination. The more polite (and preferred) adjective for followers of Trotsky is "Trotskyist."
===Troublemaker=== Often use by people in power to insult people who criticize those in power. Examples include labor union organizers, in which the phrase is in the spirit of 'red agitator'. However it was also used by the Chinese Communist government to refer to dissidents such as
Harry_Wu, who wrote a book entitled ''Troublemaker''.
==U==
===Ultraleftist=== Used by some
Leftists and
socialists to denigrate members of small, sectarian groups even further to the left. The implication is that the groups are overly dogmatic or so far to the left that they are politically irrelevant. Often used to refer to groups on the left espousing
Anarchism,
DeLeonism,
Council_communism, or
Syndicalism, or groups whose ideology is mostly informed by figures considered by other leftists to be marginal such as
Kim_Il_Sung or
Enver_Hoxha, or groups with a minuscule membership which nonetheless claim "
Vanguard_party" status. See also "
Van Party".
=== Un-American === ''U.S.'': Used to label somebody the user believes is undermining American values or working against the interests of the
United_States. Because there is little agreement about what constitutes either of these, in practice it is applied to an extremely broad set of people. See also:
House_Un-American_Activities_Committee.
===Uncle Tom=== ''U.S.'': an
African_American whose political views or allegiances are labeled by critics as detrimental to black Americans as a group. This term has been used by some African-Americans to refer to
Condoleezza_Rice and
Colin_Powell, due to their participation in a Republican administration, although it has also been used to describe Democratic African-American politicians accused of ignoring the African-American community such as former
Los_Angeles mayor
Thomas_Bradley. The original reference is to a character in an anti-slavery novel, ''
Uncle_Tom's_Cabin'', written by
Harriet_Beecher_Stowe. (Ironically, in Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom was a heroic figure who resisted the oppression from his master, rather than a "toadie.")
http://print.google.com/print?id=EZx3OEt1J-oC&prev=http://print.google.com/print?q=Uncle+Tom%27s+Cabin&pg=7&sig=Dcr1Mm6hKccSQcm5fFOnia9K7sw The term "
Aunt_Jemima" is sometimes used as a female version of Uncle Tom to refer to a black woman who is servile.
===United Queendom=== ''UK'': Originally coined as a ''tongue in cheek'' term to encourage gay tourism of the United Kingdom, the term is now used as an epithet of disgust by British social and political conservatives for the UK's gay friendly policies (including the legalization of homosexual civil partnerships/marriage in December of 2005).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5099002-111157,00.html===Useful idiot=== This term was used by anti-communists to refer to those who were seen as assisting the interests of the Communist movement while in ignorance or denial of its full programme. It is purported to have been coined by
Lenin, though this theory is not supported by any evidence. Contemporary usage is predominantly by conservatives such as talk show host
Michael Savage and
Mona_Charen (author of a book titled ''Useful Idiots'') who use it to refer to western leftists.
===Utopian=== A pejorative term for concepts, proposals, societies, etc. that are perceived as overly idealistic or optimistic. Also a term for political philosophies/solutions intended to correct all the faults of the world; and the idea of a "one size fits all" solution. The things accused of being utopian visions are usually radical, revolutionary, inspirational, or speculative. The term ''utopia'' has become stereotyped as reflecting notions that are believed to be too optimistic and idealistic for practical application; and critics will often consider these concepts as impossible or void (See
Utopian_socialism).
==V==
===Van party or Taxi party=== A
Political_party that is supposedly so small that their entire membership could fit into a
van or a
taxi. Expression "van party" (''kombi stranka'') is used in
Serbia_and_Montenegro, "taxi party" (''partido do táxi'') in
Portugal. "Telephone booth party" has been used in the United States to mean the same thing.
===Vast Left Wing Conspiracy=== ''U.S.'': ''The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy: The Untold Story of How Democratic Operatives, Eccentric Billionaires, Liberal Activists, and Assorted Celebrities Tried to Bring Down a President--and Why They'll Try Even Harder Next Time'' - the jocular title of a 2005 book by author
Byron_York.
===Vast right-wing conspiracy=== ''U.S.'': An alleged conspiracy, espoused first by Hillary Clinton in 1998 and later by other prominent Democrats, to expose damaging information about her husband. The term was later worn as a badge of honor by American conservatives after the
Impeachment of Bill Clinton.
===Violentos=== ''Spain'': In the discussion of
Politics_of_Spain, ''los violentos'' ("the violent ones") is used to refer to the armed Basque separatist organization
ETA and its supporters.
==W==
===Watermelon=== An
Environmentalist whose primary motives are claimed by critics to be political and economic leftism, rather than environmentalism, and who advocates environmentalist policies not for the purposes of benefitting the environment, but in order to restrain or cause harm to
Corporations and the wealthy. The term comes from being "Green on the outside but Red on the inside".
===Weak Sisters=== ''U.S.:'' Term used by the right to describe leftists as weak, ineffectual, and feminine.
===Whig=== ''UK & CAN:'' Originally the Whigs were proponents of, and Tories the opponents of, moves to exclude the future King
James_II_of_England and his Roman Catholic heirs from succession to the throne of
England; Tory is derived from the Irish word, "toraidhe", which translates as 'pursuer' and means 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. Today, the term is used widely to refer to that party or its members, and also in Canada to refer to members of the various Conservative parties. In neither case is the name pejorative. 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. Whigs were those who supported the
Glorious_Revolution and the
Hanoverian succession, and were opposed to the
Jacobite succession. ''U.S.:'' Tory was also used in U.S. to describe the loyalists during the
American_Revolution, and during postwar reprisals. There was also a Whig Party in the United States during the nineteenth century.
===The White Man's Burden===''International:'' The White Man's Burden represents a 19th-Century
Eurocentric view of the world, suggesting that westerners should "civilize" the rest of the world, and has been used to encourage powerful nations to adopt an imperial role. The term is the name of an 1899 poem by
Rudyard_Kipling, the sentiments of which give insight into this world view.
===Wingnut=== ''U.S.:''
Portmanteau_word combining ''right wing'' or ''left wing'' and ''nut'', used by moderates to describe either extreme in American poltics (but more commonly the extreme-right). Sometimes shortened to Winger.
===Woman hating & Misogynist=== Pejorative terms used by feminists and others on the left to refer to opponents of feminist policies and ideology.
===Worker's Paradise=== Term coined by American Communists to describe the Soviet Union of the early 20th-Century. Quickly fell out of favor, especially after the death of Lenin, and the ascension of Stalin. Now used as a term of ironic derision by conservatives to describe left-wing ideas or schemes that they see as overly optimistic, unrealistic or utopian.
===Wowser=== ''NZ'': A New Zealand term, almost obsolete. Originally it meant an alcohol
Prohibitionist. It also came to mean a killjoy, someone whose opposition to alcohol extended to all social jollity. Also in Western Australia, describes someone who tries to stop people from having fun, used mostly for politicians and people in power. A common synonym in New Zealand and
Australia is "Wally."
==X==
==Y==
===Yellow Dog Democrat=== ''U.S''.: Term frequently used to describe die-hard Democrats so fervently loyal that they overlook issues and attributes of the candidates. In colloquial speech it is used as "He would vote for a Yellow Dog, if it was a Democrat." Use of this term,along with the fortunes of southern democrats, is now in decline.
===Yellow journalism=== ''U.S''.: Deriving from the character featured in one of the
New_York_World comic strips known as
The_Yellow_Kid; it describes newspapers from the late 1800s and early 1900s that would overhype and sensationalize articles in order to sell more copies. The major publications of Yellow Journalism were the World by
Joseph_Pulitzer and the
New_York_Journal by
William_Randolph_Hearst. It saw its heights as a precursor to the Spanish-American war in 1898, as it was instrumental in drumming up popular support in New York City by emphasizing Spanish atrocities against Cubans. When the
USS Maine explosion occurred, the "yellow journals" suggested Spain was at fault.
===Young Turk=== A young leader impatient for change; in current usage, a younger person within a corporate environment or government pushing for major change. The term may be favorable or unfavorable, depending on the context. The original usage comes from a
Turkish nationalist reform party, officially known as the "Committee of Union and Progress" - whose leaders led a rebellion against
Sultan Abdul_Hamid_II (who was officially deposed and exiled in
1909). They ruled the
Ottoman_Empire from
1908 until the end of
World_War_I in November
1918. They were also responsible for over a million murders in the
Armenian_genocide.
==Z==
===Zionazi=== :''see
#JewNazi,_Judeo-Nazi,_Zionazi''
===Zionist=== Political epithet sometimes misused by
anti-Semites to label any Jew in an attempt to legitimise their racial hate. ''See also
Polish_1968_political_crisis,
Doctors'_plot,
Zionology, ''
The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion'')
===Zionist entity=== A
Pejorative"This pervasive denigration of Jews has been accompanied by a systematic denial of the Jewish state's legitimacy by both the PA and the PLO. Israel is often referred to by the pejorative phrase, 'the Zionist entity.' Israel is glaringly absent from Palestinian maps, which portray its territory as part of a 'Greater Palestine,' from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean." (
Karsh, Efraim.
"Arafat's Grand Strategy", ''
Middle_East_Quarterly'', Spring 2004).Nevertheless, no special Jewish sensitivity is required to glean racial hatred from Palestinian suicide bombings of Jewish civilians, bombings and defacings of synagogues in Europe, hostile rhetoric about "the Jews" from such Islamic groups as Hezbollah and Hamas, and decades of Arab-state rhetoric about "the Jews" and the "Zionist entity". (Tilley, Virginia Q. ''The One-state Solution'', University of Michigan Press, May 24, 2005, ISBN 0472115138, p. 198)....the transmissions of Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. Whenever they referred to Israel, they used the term 'the Zionist entity'. The announcer would say, 'the so-called government of the so-called state', but would stop short of pronouncing the word Israel, as if it were a four letter word." (
Oz, Amos. ''Under this Blazing Light'', Cambridge University Press, Jul 13, 1996, ISBN 0521576229, p. 4). for the
State of Israel, used by those who deny its legitimacy."In this Arab world where faith and politics are linked, traditionalists and radicals, Saudis and Libyans, can unite in hostility against the state of Israel - whose right to exist they deny, whose very existence they refuse to acknowledge, whose name they refuse to utter, calling Israel instead 'the Zionist entity' or 'the deformed Zionist entity'." (
Kirkpatrik, Jeane. ''Legitimacy and Force: Natural and International Dimensions'', Transaction Publishers, Jan 1, 1988, ISBN 0887386474, p. 7)."Nations can be ignored by not recognizing their existence. Some Arabs would prefer not to speak of 'Israel', but of the 'Zionist entity'." (Marlin, Randal. ''Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion'', Broadview Press, Aug 1, 2002, ISBN 1551113767, p. 161).
==See also== *
Jingoism *
List_of_ethnic_slurs *
List_of_sexual_slurs ==References and notes==
==References== * Grant Barrett. ''Hatchet Jobs and Hardball: The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang'' (2004) * R. W. Holder. ''How Not To Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms'' 3rd ed. (2003) * Peter Novobatzky and Ammon Shea. ''Depraved English and Insulting English'' (2002) * Geoffrey Nunberg. ''
Talking_Right:_How_Conservatives_Turned_Liberalism_into_a_Tax-Raising,_Latte-Drinking,_Sushi-Eating,_Volvo-Driving,_New_York_Times-Reading,_Body-Piercing,_Hollywood-Loving,_Left-Wing_Freak_Show'' (2006) *
Geoffrey Nunberg, "Language and Politics" * Uno Natanael Philipson. '' Political Slang, 1750-1850'' (1968) for England. * Safire, William. ''Safire's New Political Dictionary'' (1993) * Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh, ''American Political Terms: An Historical Dictionary'' (1962).
Category:Pejorative_political_terms Category:Pejorative_terms_for_people Sv:Lista_över_politiska_epitet
That's a wrap.
Be sure to bookmark this..
;D
And Oh! the Irony, it burns! Krugman speaking of FOX News as a Right-leaning platform from a platform, the NYT, that's so far in the tank for the Left, for Democrats and beyond, that even a child should see the irony. Can you not realize that all of this you decry, Krugman, is reaction to the political pendulum-swing to the Left that's now gone too far for reasonable Americans? Sure, I'd like to welcome Democrats back to the realm of political sanity, but I fear that with organs like the NYT, KOS, MSNBC, LA Times, NPR (just to name a few), with the huge overwhelming multitude of similar far-left sources that daily spout far-left opinions, there's no choice but to support the RIGHT side; and if that means FOX News all the time, so be it.
A debate by 'journalists' as to how to regain ad revenues is here. Suggestions include a 24-hour moratorium on links to breaking news, increased copyright protections, and other First Amendment-unfriendly suggestions.
