reaction word

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It all began with words and will end with words – the Bible knew this, conservatives and reactionaries still know this. Republicans like Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump know this, the senior vice president knows this.

They all have a new favorite word: “wake up.” They cherish and care for it, need it and abuse it, use it to explain the world and all the misfortunes that befall them.

Because “woke up” sucks. Stroke. What you don’t want to be and don’t wish on anyone. “Woke” was twisted into “Woke Madness”, twisted, distorted, overdriven and at the same time very ugly. Now it means everything and nothing. For bans on thinking, for gender, for muzzles, for alleged oppression of the majority by an overly sensitive minority, for SRG, for global warming, for Renovate Switzerland, for vegan menus, for the state, for the left – in short: for everything that is right, I don’t like it.

The revival even led to the fall of Silicon Valley Bank (45% female on the board, two veterans, one LGBTQ+ and one black): “I’m not saying that twelve white men could have prevented this mess. But it could be that the company was distracted by diversity issues,” columnist Andy Kessler told The Wall Street Journal.

Originally, in the days of the black American civil rights movement, the word “wake up” had a positive connotation: it meant vigilance against prejudices and shortcomings in everyday life. The call was then supported by Black Lives Matter activists, queer feminists, and other identity politics movements. He advocated anti-racism, diversity, empathy, attention, respect, the colors of the rainbow. Until the day the radical right took over the word.

Conservatives and reactionaries are devilishly good at turning words into their opposites, making sparks out of them and lighting fires that blaze around the world. It’s no surprise that the most obsessed political liar of all time, Donald Trump, labels everything he doesn’t like as “fake news.” And claims that this term is one of his greatest inventions. Which, by the way, is not true. American newspapers reported fake news as early as the 19th century. Everything will be fine.

Ursula von Arx understands that power relations are reflected in language. And still wondering if a bit of left-handed verbal magic would not be possible. Von Arx writes to Bleek every second Monday.

Source: Blick