Something that’s bothered me for years are how there are these handful of words that get tossed around like emotional hand grenades, meant to make things sound worse than they are, or to make something decent instantly sound like it’s a fleecing of America without any further thought given. Spoiler alert: These words are just propaganda in fancy clothes. They’ve been abused by the media and political talking heads to make you feel uncomfortable, angry, or confused. Let’s break it down:
“Woke”
Ah, the word of the year. “Woke.” Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Almost like a horror movie villain, lurking in the shadows, waiting to make you feel bad for caring about people who aren’t exactly like you. But surprise! The term “woke” actually dates back to the 60s, rooted in African American slang as a call to stay aware of systemic injustices. So, yeah, it used to mean, “Hey, maybe let’s not be racist, sexist, or intolerant jerks.” Wild, right?
But fast forward to today, and the far-right has co-opted the word like a bunch of toddlers claiming the last cookie, turning it into an insult against… literally anything progressive. Free lunches for kids in a tough economy? Woke. Care about diversity? Woke. Support the basic human idea of being decent to one another? Woke. You can’t even talk about solving problems without someone yelling “WOKE!” like a broken record.
And let’s not even get started on how it’s just code for a nice little bouquet of -isms: racism, transphobia, Islamophobia… all wrapped up in a bow and disguised as righteous outrage. It’s like the “woke” word got hijacked by a group of people who are actually anti-decent human being. Good times.
“Liberal”
Oh, “liberal”—the oldie but goodie. If you grew up in the late ’90s, you know that “liberal” was the slur on the block. Political ads were like, “Oh no, another Washington liberal!”—said with the same disgust you’d reserve for a pair of dirty socks. The left had their own name-calling fun back then. “Neocon” was the go-to during the Bush years. Strangely enough, “Neolib” has been one used online a lot to push a “both sides are the same” attitude that says democrats aren’t liberal enough so it isn’t worth voting at all. It’s just voter suppression, pushed by foreign trolls mostly.
Fast forward to today, and “liberal” has somehow morphed into an instant “NOPE” button for anything even remotely progressive. It’s not about debate, logic, or facts—it’s about emotional gut reactions. So when some dude on the news calls a policy “liberal,” people immediately recoil like a snake just bit them. It’s classic psychological manipulation, and it’s been drilled into our heads so thoroughly that we’ve basically forgotten the difference between reason and rhetoric. It’s not about ideas, it’s about who’s on the receiving end of the insult.
“Fake News”
Ah, “fake news”—the gift that just keeps on giving. If we’re being honest, the term did start out addressing a real problem. Remember 2016? Random websites were cranking out wildly fabricated stories and they were being shared and reshared all over the place. It was a mess. But once T***p got into office, “fake news” quickly became his favorite, go-to catchphrase whenever anyone in the press reported on his scandals. “Fake news! FAKE!” It was like the kid on the playground who calls “dibs” on everything, even though they have no claim to it.
The genius part? By labeling actual journalism as “fake,” he could distract from the real issues, like foreign interference in the election or… you know, blatant scandals. The more people use “fake news,” the easier it is for anyone to throw out legitimate concerns without ever having to back it up. The perfect way to avoid accountability!
“Socialist” (Sometimes Conflated with “Communist”)
You’ve probably heard this one tossed around at some point. What’s crazy is that a lot of folks can’t even tell the difference between socialism and communism, which is like confusing a veggie burger with actual beef. They just know socialism equals BAD–it’s what the USSR’s and the Nazi’s were after all! According to decades of brainwashing.
Here’s a fun fact: “Socialism” doesn’t mean turning into a totalitarian nightmare. It’s actually about creating a fairer economy where wealth doesn’t just sit in the hands of a few greedy dudes on top. Want universal healthcare? Oh, well, that’s socialism! Want workers to have rights? You’re definitely a socialist. Basically, you can’t throw any idea out there that has even a tiny whiff of fairness or equity without being labeled a socialist—regardless of whether it’s even remotely related to the government seizing all the property.
“Antifa”
Now, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite boogeyman: Antifa. Originally, the term was a short and sweet way of saying “anti-fascist.” You know, the people who think Nazis are bad. But surprise!—just like everything else that sounds vaguely progressive, it got hijacked and distorted until it was synonymous with chaos, destruction, and… well, everything that makes people clutch their pearls.
See, the trick is that Antifa is not a giant organization or secret cabal of evil geniuses. It’s just a loose collection of folks who don’t like fascism, white supremacy, or authoritarianism. And yet, somehow, the right-wing machine has made it out to be an all-powerful group of anarchists responsible for every broken window and burnt car. Newsflash: If people show up in black masks breaking stuff, there’s a 50/50 chance it’s not even Antifa—it could be anyone from agent provocateurs to random angry people who just really want to start trouble. But hey, why let facts get in the way when you can just scream “ANTIFA!” and watch people panic?
“Democracy”
Ah, the term that makes right-wingers lose their minds: “democracy.” They’ll scream “We’re not a democracy, we’re a constitutional republic!” as if they’ve discovered some grand secret. Yes, we have a constitution. Yes, we are a republic. And yes, we have a democratic process. But you know what? It’s just easier to say we’re America. Because trying to explain all that would be… gasp… nuanced.
The best part? Some people are so hell-bent on removing “democracy” from America’s identity just because it’s associated with ideas they don’t like. It’s like wanting to erase the word “freedom” because it’s been tied to people who disagree with you. The irony is, democracy’s been a core part of what this country has stood for since it was founded. The founders literally used the word. So go ahead, keep pretending it’s a dirty word. See where that gets us.
If you’re the kind of person who casually slings words like “woke,” “socialist,” or “Antifa” around as slurs, here’s a thought: Take a moment and think about how these words have been weaponized to make you feel like your entire worldview is under attack. Ask yourself how much of your reaction is just a conditioned response, programmed into your brain by political hacks and media personalities.
These words, when used carelessly or maliciously, aren’t just misused—they’re actively contributing to the breakdown of meaningful dialogue. So, how about we stop throwing these verbal grenades around and start actually thinking about what we’re saying? Because when we do, we might actually be able to have a conversation that’s less about getting a knee-jerk reaction and more about figuring out where we stand. It’s time for a little less slinging and a little more listening. Who knows? We might actually learn something.
Let’s talk about the Minneapolis Riots
This event really relates to the Antifa point and has kept it relevant into the most recent election as people still commented frequently about Minneapolis being “burned down by Antifa”
Pictured below: The “Umbrella Man,” who was captured on video smashing the windows of an AutoZone store shortly before the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis escalated into destructive riots. Umbrella Man is juxtaposed with someone who represents a peaceful population of the protestors that day, but in the public eye they will always be the same due to the failures of the press to report on and investigate the agent provocateurs that are on video provoking the riots.
Despite the widespread footage, his identity was never revealed. The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) stated only that they had ruled out one of their own officers as a suspect, despite the striking resemblance between the individual in the video and a department member. Later, NPR reported a couple years ago that the FBI and MPD had linked the Umbrella Man to a white supremacist group. This raises the question: Why would a white supremacist be involved with “Antifa”? Yet, this angle was largely ignored by the media. Instead, the public was left to believe the riots were the work of a singular, monolithic group and this was used as political rhetoric to this day.
We’ll likely never know the true identity of the Umbrella Man, nor will we fully understand why many of the rioters arrested that night were from out of state—and why they targeted the police department of a city they didn’t even live in. Despite these unresolved questions, most of the individuals involved were hastily labeled as “Antifa” by the media, rather than being recognized as potential agent provocateurs. This is no different from the schoolteacher who showed up for just 30 minutes with a sign before peacefully going home.
