Political correctness – more words the Woke aren’t supposed to use

In the last commentary, we looked at 11 of the words that the Third Way website/group says that the leftists/Woke/so-called Progressives should stop using. As we pointed out at the end, at least one reason for the advocates of that political and social system to do so is because when normal people hear them, they tune out. People stop listening to them, they can’t spread their message.

The next set of works is shorter, and the Third Way calls them “seminar room language.” Perhaps, but we will tell you up front, the only way we’d stay in a room for a seminar that featured considerable use of these words? If we were chained to the floor and wearing a straitjacket. They’d probably need to gag us, too.

1. Subverting norms. Speaking of normal people, just how do you “subvert a norm?” You can change what is normal, by getting rid of a lot of the people (or things) that are found at some part of the spectrum. Germans apparently did that for centuries by cutting the trees with nice straight trunks, leaving the warped ones to repopulate the forests. So that today, the norm is crooked trunks, not straight ones. That does seem to be an objective of the Woke enemies of liberty today: to warp (or subvert) normalcy.
2. Systems of oppression. This buzz phrase applies to anything in society, politics, or the economy that the Woke don’t like. Whether it is mathematics, spelling, how people vote, or what people wear (or don’t). But there is an underlying idea here: anything they label as “oppressive” is something they want to get rid of, or at least twist and warp into something totally different.
3. Critical theory. Oddly enough, this is a recognized title given to a school of thought. It is clear that the Third Way is concerned, again, with too many revelations of their doctrines and objectives. In sociology, history, and politics, this school of thought seeks to strongly criticize and then change the whole society. Why? To get rid of oppressive power structures. (More buzz phrases, no?)
4. Cultural appropriation. The idea is very well known, and screamed from virtually every place. The “oppressive power structures” and evil society allow people to freely adopt ideas and practices from other, oppressed cultures and societies. Whether it is a sombrero (and Mexican food in general) on the mascot of a Wyoming-based fast food chain, or an African gospel song. (Note: Taco John’s, the WestMex food chain is cleaning up its act: it has gone Woke and moved its headquarters to Minnesota, after abandoning poor John and the sombrero. No doubt the burritos will all be called “wraps” soon, and the shredded beef and salsa will be replaced by lutefisk and zucchini dip. (Scandinavians are not an oppressed segment of society or a part of the Third World.)
5. Postmodernism. A word stolen from the world of art and probably religion in general. “After-modernism” is an example of the dearth of creativity and common sense. It is what they think tomorrow will bring (if they have their way). You see, the “modern world” is too old-fashioned for them. It may be the end of history (as many “progressive” intellectuals have claimed), but society must evolve the way they want. (No, this is not the equivalent of the biological evolutionary “intelligent design” argument. No intelligence is really involved.
6. Overton Window. (Yes, caps.) We had thought that Glen Beck had made this phrase popular, but apparently the Woke use it too much. This political concept identifies the range of ideas (including policies) that the general public will accept at any given times. Politicians are supposed to use this Window to make sure that they act inside that range, regardless of their real intentions: they want the masses to feel like their actions are in the public’s comfort zone. With the idea of expanding the window to ultimately make their ideas tolerated by the public. No wonder any mention of this phrase is too much, for the Woke: giving away secrets of power, eh?
7. Heuristic. The word describes a “mental shortcut” to solve problems and make quick decisions. It is a tool of simplification. It is often considered to be “sub-optimal” (another phrase the Third Way probably derides) because the shortcuts and other tools in the category of heuristic often lead to bad, bad decisions. This is one word the Third Way may want to get rid of because it describes how the enemies of liberty often try to be “efficient” in their problem-solving. As in thinking that one size fits all, and their love of central planning.
8. Existential threat (to climate, planet, democracy, the economy). And a hundred other things. Like “systems of oppression,” this phrase seems to be used to describe anything they don’t like. Not only is it over the top and used way too often, but it signals what they want to get rid of. And almost always telegraphs what they want to replace it with. (No doubt some scheme that has failed constantly in the past, but “we’ll do it right this time.”)

Now, Third Way claims that these eight words tell the listeners (or at least the undecided and non-Woke ones) “We’re smarter than you. We are more concerned about the really important issues than you are. What you worry about and talk about around the kitchen table isn’t really critical.” In other words, we are the vanguard and we will take care of you. Just obey us.

So of course, these words are way too revealing of both their attitude and their goals. Because if we do, and if they use words we have to look up (jargon), we start to distrust the Woke social justice warriors and their puppet masters even more. So they can’t brainwash us as easily.

All told, we here at TPOL can see why the SJW at Third Way want these words to be stricken from their prophets’ speeches. At least those heard by us.

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