# Attention: Any EARNEST use in political discussion of the following terms brands the user an idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 20, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381 "2011-01-20T21:34:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/141 "2011-01-25T15:44:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > “Zionist” as a pejorative. And how is it used as a perjorative? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/142 "2011-01-25T16:03:53Z")
> [@Dr.Rieux](#): > > Anti-semites? Conflating anti-zionism with anti-semitism. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/143 "2011-01-25T16:10:17Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Meh. There are no libertarian governments on the planet and there will never be any libertarian governments on the planet, yet some on this board people view libertarianism as an idea with any merit whatsoever. THAT’S so cute. We’ll never have true communism either, that doesn’t stop people from trying. Libertarian philosophy is a useful thought exercise (espeically in economics and game theory) so we probably shouldn’t get rid of it altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/144 "2011-01-25T17:51:25Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Conflating anti-zionism with anti-semitism. I’d say most anti-semites are also anti-Zionists. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/145 "2011-01-25T17:55:27Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Correct if wrong, but aren’t there several lines of Orthodox thought that regard “Zionism” as presumptuous, sort of like “second guessing” God? Believe me, those guys piss me off (for that and many more reasons) as much as \*your \*fundies piss \*you \*off. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/146 "2011-01-25T18:01:36Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’d say most anti-semites are also anti-Zionists. Probably anti-Zombieists, too. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/147 "2011-01-25T18:22:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, and, of course, “death tax.” And “double taxation”. And “all taxation is theft”. Cloward-Piven ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/148 "2011-01-25T18:23:45Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > We’ll never have true communism either, that doesn’t stop people from trying. Libertarian philosophy is a useful thought exercise (espeically in economics and game theory) so we probably shouldn’t get rid of it altogether. It’s academically interesting to some. But on this board, people go on and on about how things would work in Libertaria. BORING! In essence, libertarians are Republicans who don’t want the responsibility of actually running anything. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/149 "2011-01-25T18:54:22Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s academically interesting to some. But on this board, people go on and on about how things would work in Libertaria. BORING! In essence, libertarians are Republicans who don’t want the responsibility of actually running anything. And can expect to get their wish. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/150 "2011-01-25T19:12:27Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’d say most anti-semites are also anti-Zionists. All squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares. I agree that anti-semites latch onto the criticism of Zionism as an excuse for their anti-semitism but the difference is that (aside from arab anti-semites) most anti-semites don’t really give a shit what happens to the Palestinians. Arabs might have lost their ability to distinguish between Jews and zionists and I don’t excuse it but I think Arab anti-semitism comes from a different place than western/European anti-semitism (not that ther is much difference in effect). ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/151 "2011-01-25T19:19:03Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > And “double taxation”. > > And “all taxation is theft”. > > Cloward-Piven Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme. The SS Trust Fund doesn’t hold assets. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/152 "2011-01-25T19:24:57Z")
I would be happy if I never again heard the term “brown people” used sarcastically by left-wingers as a straw-man representing what they think _right-wingers_ would say. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/153 "2011-01-25T20:00:46Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I would be happy if I never again heard the term “brown people” used sarcastically by left-wingers as a straw-man representing what they think _right-wingers_ would say. Would yo feel better if we simply said right wing positions are being driven by racism? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/154 "2011-01-25T20:31:46Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Arabs might have lost their ability to distinguish between Jews and zionists and I don’t excuse it but I think Arab anti-semitism comes from a different place than western/European anti-semitism (not that ther is much difference in effect). Aboslutely - while I’m not a fan of Arab anti-semitism, it bothers me a lot less than its European counterpart. The Arabs at least have a legitimate dispute with us; European anti-semitism, OTOH, makes no logical sense, and is thus much scarier. Besides, Europeans are much better at killing Jews than Arabs. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/155 "2011-01-26T03:46:14Z")
I hope ‘hack’ won’t be taken out of the lexicon. Especially in this, our post-\*Citizens United \*world. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/156 "2011-01-26T18:52:23Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Rush Limbaugh came up with that about 15 years ago. It’s supposed to sound like the name of a monster: instead of “Algore”, think “ALGOR! ALGOR SMASH! ARGH!” > [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > May I posit the notion that if you have to explain your invective ad nauseum, it isn’t a very good one to begin with? > > ‘Algore’ is supposed to be an arab monster lab assistant or some shit? At least when someone calls Obama ‘Hussein’ I know what they’re babbling about. When I first saw it, I thought it was a reference to [Kilg%re](http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Kilg%25re_%28New_Earth%29), which was a robotic villain in one of the big DC Comics crossover events back in the 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/157 "2011-01-26T23:09:38Z")
Post partisan. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/158 "2011-01-27T04:49:30Z")
Fundies Anchor babies Liberal elite ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/159 "2011-01-27T14:34:50Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme. Definitely that one. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381/160 "2011-01-27T15:08:38Z")
“9/11” and “Iraq” in the same breath. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-any-earnest-use-in-political-discussion-of-the-following-terms-brands-the-user-an-idiot/568381.md?page=9)