There’s another thread on what the process should be – Here I’m just trying to figure out what to call it.
I posted this question on both ChatGPT and Gemini:
“What are alternative words that have been suggested (not by you, but by others) for denazification, deTRUMPfication, and/or deMAGAfication, and who originated them?”
Both AI’s came up with bupkis. So now I am asking experts much smarter than any AI – Dopers – if they can come up with something that will please both Democratic Party regulars and swing voters. Winner hopefully gets an entry in the next edition of Webster’s Dictionary, and a possible shout-out during 2028 Democratic primary debates..
P.S. As thread starter and a volunteer English teacher, I ask that no proposed answer come from an AI told to devise something on its own. Humans are the ones who should be adding to English.
Rather than emphasizing what we’re removing, how about emphasizing what we’re restoring? And simultaneously strip the rhetorical cover from the Fascists? Restore the rule of law, not men. Restore the constitution, not trash it? Restore the American Dream; stop the American nightmare? etc.
Any de-[whatever]-ification coinage will be clunky.
President Warren G Harding’s campaign slogan in the 1920 election was “Return to Normalcy”. Never was such a phrase more appropriate than today!
Interestingly, “normality” is the more common noun, but due to Harding’s campaign the term “normalcy” has become associated in America with sociopolitical meaning, so would be preferred.
Out of all of them, this one, though not as short and snappy as “MAGA,” is probably the best.
I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears retelling. I remember a crusty old professor when I was in law school (think Professor Kingsfield in “The Paper Chase” and you’ll know who I mean) who summed up the Rule of Law legal philosophy in one sentence: “Rule of Law means that the government doesn’t get to make shit up to justify its actions.”
That’s exactly what Trump and his minions (Hegseth, RFK Jr., et al.) have been doing for almost a year.
A “Return to Rule of Law” would mean that the government couldn’t unilaterally decide that a boat in the Caribbean is carrying drugs, nor could it destroy the boat and its crew without due process. Similarly, Trump couldn’t unilaterally declare a national emergency requiring tariffs on Canada and Mexico without proving that Canadian and Mexican goods present a danger to American security. RFK Jr. wouldn’t be allowed to unilaterally make shit up in HHS, without input from scientists with actual scientific credentials. And so on.
Reconstructing Democracy
Con:
– A bit wonky
Pro:
– It’s what we need. After the damage Trump has done, American democracy cannot be the same as before, at least for a while
.
Restoring Democracy.
Con:
– While I favor jettisoning the imperial presidency AKA restoring democracy, needed day one steps, to reverse Trump’s overreach, seem to me inconsistent with that.
– Backward looking
Pro:
– Sounds good; hard to argue with
Return to Normalcy
Con:
– When Americans who have heard of Harding think of him, they think of scandals
– While return to normalcy is good in the medium to long term, in the short term some boldness is required
Pro:
– As as moderate former Republican, normalcy is mostly what I want.
– Stealing a GOP slogan wins swing votes.
Return to the Rule of Law:
Con:
– Backward looking
– Eat your spinach vibe
– May be impossible or unwise on day one
Pro:
– Except a few crooks, everyone thinks they are for it.
– Just what I want
Truth and Reconciliation
Con:
– South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation process was partly about deciding whether to punish wrongdoers. Little actual punishment occurred, but, still, I do not like punishment, and voters want to end the Trump era.
– Republicans will go crazy about the South Africa connection, claiming that the Democrats are planning to ditch the white man, thus increasing turnout of racist voters
– Foreign connection in a nativist era
Pro:
– Gets at what we need with purely positive terms
– Will increase progressive enthusiasm for the Democratic candidate, even if said candidate is a moderate at heart
– Republicans will go crazy, claiming that the Democrats are planning to ditch the white man, thus wasting time when they should have been (for electoral reasons) lying about the economy.
– Many swing voters, who care nothing about South Africa, will find GOP racism, applied to the niceness of words truth and reconciliation, overwrought
.
Well, given that we were founded as a nation of laws and not men, it seems to me that “backward looking” is entirely the point. Not a bad thing.
A strange take. I would be comforted to think we were getting back to a sane system of government and don’t view that as an unpalatable objective. But you do you.
“Rebuilding the Government”, because at this point that’s what would be required.
Eh, I would fully expect that to translate to papering over the problem, shutting down any attempt to investigate Republican misdeeds, fixing almost nothing and trying yet again to be “bipartisan” with the Republicans. The Democrats actually admitting the Republicans are fascists, working to remove them from the government and ensuring they are punished for their crimes is very far from “normalcy”.
Republicans go crazy if the holiday cups at Starbucks are the wrong shade of red. At some point we have to stop being the abused spouse pre-filtering our actions in an attempt to forestall or prevent reprisal from the unstable monster who shares our space, and simply do what is necessary and right.
