I like this term, nuclear words. I keep seeing the noun-ification of actions, the semantic drift Orwell warned about in Politics and the English Language. Created by academia/politicians and distributed through the media. Other nuclear words I hear today, so co-opted and diluted that I have to demand specifics/examples when uttered: fascism, communism, racism, colonialism (it's always the -isms), left-wing, right-wing, mental health (and most of its associated language).
Idk when we started marking religion and politics at parties a faux pas. Can't build upon our language when we discourage its discourse. It makes us so spineless and tedious and urban millennial parties unbearable. Even craft beer and fair-trade coffee were more interesting than the latest algorithmic show, where to get the best boba/sushi, airline/hospitality status, or the merits of in-n-out vs other cancer chains
Terrific and needed essay, Nicolás. Interesting to read this after yesterday's Marginal Revolution post from Tyler Cowen, my favorite economist to read:
I like this term, nuclear words. I keep seeing the noun-ification of actions, the semantic drift Orwell warned about in Politics and the English Language. Created by academia/politicians and distributed through the media. Other nuclear words I hear today, so co-opted and diluted that I have to demand specifics/examples when uttered: fascism, communism, racism, colonialism (it's always the -isms), left-wing, right-wing, mental health (and most of its associated language).
Idk when we started marking religion and politics at parties a faux pas. Can't build upon our language when we discourage its discourse. It makes us so spineless and tedious and urban millennial parties unbearable. Even craft beer and fair-trade coffee were more interesting than the latest algorithmic show, where to get the best boba/sushi, airline/hospitality status, or the merits of in-n-out vs other cancer chains
Terrific and needed essay, Nicolás. Interesting to read this after yesterday's Marginal Revolution post from Tyler Cowen, my favorite economist to read:
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2023/11/religious-classical-liberals.html
Bravo to you for raising this desperately needed subject, my friend.