Western doublespeak compilation

3 years ago by Trudge [Comrade] to c/comradeship

We all know that the west uses two different words for the same thing depending on where it is happening.

e.g. Secret Police vs Plainclothes Officer
Regime vs Government

Can we have a compilation thread of these words? I am probably using many of them unconsciously without critical examination.

big_spoon 33 points 3 years ago

oligarchy - entrepreneurs

invasion - humanitarian intervention

indoctrination - common sense

surveillance - CCTV

attacking free press - defending national security

racial profiling/transphobia - stopping cultural marxism

freedom fighters - terrorists

united states - america

football - soccer

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Soul_Greatsword 33 points 3 years ago

Prime minister and Supreme leader are literally synonyms yet have such wildly different implications.

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azanra4 28 points 3 years ago

manifest destiny vs. the holocaust

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kig_v2 22 points 3 years ago

Literally Lebensraum

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absentthereaper 12 points 3 years ago
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Trudge 26 points 3 years ago

I'll start the thread.

Billionaire vs Oligarch
Custom vs Ritual
Freedom fighter vs Terrorist
Anime vs Cartoon

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FishLake 21 points 3 years ago

Anime vs Cartoon

It appears you have chosen violence.

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iridaniotter 25 points 3 years ago

Their regime, our administration

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absentthereaper 23 points 3 years ago
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Shinhoshi 18 points 3 years ago

Internship vs unpaid labor

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apemint 18 points 3 years ago

freedom fighters vs terrorists
Media really had a field day with these over the last 20 years.

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Shinhoshi 3 points 3 years ago

"If crime fighters fight crime, and firefighters fight fires, then what do freedom fighters fight?"

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communal_programmer7 18 points 3 years ago

Defector/refugee - Illegal immigrant
Community service - Forced labor
Liberation - Occupation
Enhanced interrogation techniques - Torture

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ComradeSalad 9 points 3 years ago

Community service is not forced labour 💀

You mean prison labour is forced labour. Community service is when they make dumbass teens arrested for something like vandalism or underage drinking, go and work at a soup kitchen, or pick up garbage off the side of the road as punishment.

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SovereignState 3 points 3 years ago

I got hit with 24 hours of community service when I was a teen. Worked it off on a library, not bad. Actually wanted to get a full time job there.

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ComradeSalad 3 points 3 years ago

That’s really nice, libraries are vital parts of the community, and volunteering or doing service at one is a very good thing.

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SovereignState 2 points 3 years ago

It was around Halloween time. I spent my time putting loaned books back on the shelves in their proper place for the most part, but also got to spray-paint some branches and hang spooky decorations! I remember it rather fondly.

Got to take as many smoke breaks as I liked, too, lol. Was not a fan of digging the weeds out of the flowerbed, however.

If and when I am ever offered the opportunity to retire, I believe I would very much like to be a librarian in a rural area.

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polskilumalo 7 points 3 years ago

Don't forget expat! They love that one.

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Cysioland 3 points 3 years ago

Migrant vs refugee

Migrant vs expat

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Trudge 17 points 3 years ago

Immigrant vs Expat

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201dberg 15 points 3 years ago

The various ways they avoid using "oligarch" for westerns. Western Billionaire, entrepreneur, etc, whereas it's always "Russian Oligarchs."

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Spanish_Commie 14 points 3 years ago

Expat / immigrant

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ComradeSalad 3 points 3 years ago

Expat is a useful word, but it has been co-opted by those who very obviously aren’t expats and just don’t want to call themselves immigrants.

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DankZedong 9 points 3 years ago

I do the reverse thing of calling myself an immigrant and you can see people having an error in their heads. Because I am an immigrant, I came here unemployed with nowhere to stay, looking for a better life. But I'm white, so expat it is for them 🤷

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CaptainRipcord 2 points 3 years ago

I think this isn't always true because they do mean different things. You're not an "immigrant" unless you're trying to stay there permanently, whereas "expats" can be sort of transient

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Trudge 6 points 3 years ago

In practice, people from the global south who are working for only a few years in rich countries are never called expats.

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bennieandthez 11 points 3 years ago

Paid volunteers vs mercenaries

White nationalism vs white supremacist

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AlbigensianGhoul 9 points 3 years ago

First thing that comes to mind is "prison camps" vs just "prison." Will edit some more in when I remember them.

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renownedballoonthief 9 points 3 years ago

Our routine missile test vs their provocative missile launch

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ButtigiegMineralMap 9 points 3 years ago

In terms of Israel: Skirmishes vs terrorist attacks

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Trudge 8 points 3 years ago

Army vs Horde

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relay 8 points 3 years ago path: 0 2699517, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 0
yearningforfreedom 6 points 3 years ago

Savages committing human sacrifices vs Carrying out God's divine justice

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American_Communist22 5 points 3 years ago

Terrorists vs freedom fighters

dictator vs president

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shastaxc 3 points 3 years ago

Humans vs terrans

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Shinhoshi 3 points 3 years ago

I don’t think anyone’s seriously using that one except in movies

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bennieandthez 2 points 3 years ago

Coup vs popular uprising.

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