List of political epithets
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- See also alternative political spellings.
The following is a list of pejorative political epithets; meaning, words or phrases used to mock or insult certain political views and their supporters. An explanation is also given for each term's intended meaning and original source (where known). The list is not comprehensive, and perhaps never will be, due to the multitude of political epithets that have been and continue to be created. Please note that the majority of these epithets are inherently biased terms and some are considered highly inflammatory.
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[edit] A
[edit] Abortion on demand
U.S.: A term used by opponents of legalized abortion to refer to the effectual legal outcome of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court. [1] The term implies that those favoring abortion rights favor permitting abortion under any and all circumstances, for any or no reason.
[edit] Abortionist
Term used by anti-abortion activists verbally and in writing to characterize any physician that performs abortions as a killer, rather than a healer. The "-ist" suffix indicates profession, where in this case the nature of the abortion act is emphasised over the typical positive connotations of the term physician. The term is considered to be a politically "incendiary" way of describing the more clinical term "abortion provider".
[edit] Activist judges
U.S.: Judges whose decisions are alleged to be "extra-constitutional," overturn traditional legal interpretations, or who are alleged to craft decisions to produce a predetermined outcome. Often, such judges are accused of "legislating from the bench", as it is implied that the will of the people (as expressed directly, or via the legislature) is being thwarted. This term is usually used by conservatives, often when long-standing laws upholding or promoting "traditional values" are overturned. However, liberal commentators such as Alan Dershowitz have also decried "judicial activism" by conservative jurists.
"Judicial Activism" has also been used by judges themselves - and against conservatives. Judge John Bridges used this "epithet" in his decision against conservative Republican candidate Dino Rossi's election challenge, after Rossi's loss to Christine Gregoire in the 2004 Washington State gubernatorial election : "To do so, within the context of the facts of this case, would constitute the ultimate act of judicial egotism and judicial activism..." [2]
[edit] Aid and comfort to the enemy
U.S.: A term used mainly by nationalists for people who are perceived as supporting the enemies of the United States, although others use the term against people they see as being overly sympathetic towards an enemy that has demonstrated its capacity for cruelty and viciousness. This term was often expressed towards liberal members of the entertainment industry. Derives from the definition of treason against the United States within the U.S. Constitution (Article III, Section 3).[3]
This interpretation is derived from military conventional wisdom which holds that apparent factors, such as bluff and projection of will or fear, have a very high strategic significance in the resolution of a conflict. (In hand-to-hand combat, for instance, body language that shows fear or projects an action prior to its execution is known as "telegraphing"; an act which can give an opponent an advantageous strategic insight which in turn allows that opponent to to defeat the former.) Applied in political-military situations, this interpretation is the theory that a failure to support your own forces (and friendly forces) in an ongoing war (or to the manner in which it is being prosecuted); including continuous and unending criticism of the political leadership which is allegedly responsible for the war and/or its conduct, has the result of being beneficial (thus giving "aid and comfort") to the enemy; thus such opposition has the effect of drawing the conflict out and is tantamount to treason.
[edit] Amnesty Solution
U.S.: Used to describe the Guest Worker Program proposed by President George W. Bush in 2006 by those who favor stricter border controls in response to illegal immigration. Suggests that Bush's policies are akin to amnesty for undocumented workers.
[edit] Anti-choice
U.S.: A term used by some pro-choice individuals (advocates of legalized abortion) to refer to pro-life individuals (opponents of legalized abortion). They may choose not to use pro-life as an objection to the idea that "life" is legally in question. Those who share this belief may feel that a fertilized egg or embryo does not legally constitute human "life"; they may wish to emphasize the view that the issue in question is a woman's right to make choices regarding her own body; or they may feel that the phrase "pro-life" implicitly denigrates pro-choicers as "anti-life" or even "pro-death". In the broader sense refers to those people whose opposition to reproductive rights includes overturning the Griswold v. Connecticut opinion (which legalized contraceptives for married couples) as well as subsequent Supreme Court decisions that expanded access to birth control.
[edit] Anti-immigrant/anti-immigration
A political epithet when used to refer to those who support immigration reduction but are not opposed to legal immigration. This is distinct from the correct usage of Anti-immigrant, when it refers to those who denigrate, fear, or oppose immigrants. Anti-immigration is sometimes used interchangeably, although it has a distinct meaning. "Anti-immigrant" or "anti-immigration" is also sometimes used as a straw man argument to denigrate those who oppose illegal immigration, but do not oppose legal immigration.
[edit] Anti-life
U.S.: A term used by some Pro-life individuals (opponents of legalized abortion) to refer to those who title themselves as "Pro-choice" (advocates of legalized abortion). They may choose not to use pro-choice as an objection to the idea that "choice" is legally in question. Those who share this belief may feel that a pregnant woman doesn't posses sole jurisdiction over her fetus but that she possesses jurisdiction over only her own body; they may wish to emphasize the view that the issue in question is the independent life of a fetus; or they may feel that the phrase "pro-choice" implicitly denigrates pro-lifers as "anti-choice" or even "pro-subjugation". This term may be used to draw parallels between unrestricted legalization of abortion and legalization of murder and infanticide.
[edit] Apartheid
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation that operated in South Africa and is a crime against humanity according to the United Nations. As an epithet, the term implies a given society practices politically sanctioned racism.
[edit] Apparatchik
From Soviet era Russian terminology, meaning simply a member of the political organizational apparatus of Soviet Russia; it now has a meaning in English which implies a bureaucratic mentality and/or slavish (to the point of mindlessness) devotion to a cause (or a political figure). A recent example from the Washington Times: "Mr. McCain said commission Vice Chairman Ellen Weintraub is an "apparatchik" of the Democratic Party ..."
[edit] Axe-Grinder
A person whose participation in politics appears to be motivated by malice or a desire to complain.
[edit] B
[edit] Baby killer
A term used by some members of the left in the 1960s and 1970s, to denigrate military personnel. Later, some in the pro-life movement used the same term against doctors who perform abortions, and against other supporters of legal abortion.
[edit] Banana republic
A pejorative term for a small, often Latin American or Caribbean country, politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, wealthy and corrupt clique. Coined by O. Henry, American humorist and short story writer, in reference to Honduras. "Republic" in his time was often a euphemism for a dictatorship, while "banana" implied an easy reliance on basic agriculture and backwardness in the development of modern industrial technology.
[edit] Bedwetting conservative
U.S.: Used by liberals to refer to conservatives who favor stronger security measures, most especially in the War on Terror. The term suggests extreme fear, and alarmism, and is generally applied to those who suggest using covert surveillance to protect against terrorism.
[edit] Bedwetting liberal
U.S.: Used by conservatives to refer to liberals who do not favor stronger security measures, most especially in the War on Terror. The term suggests extreme fear, and alarmism, and is generally applied to those who believe Constitutional rights will be eroded to protect against terrorism. [4]
[edit] Bible basher or Bible thumper
Someone who tries in a forceful or enthusiastic way to persuade other people to believe in the Christian religion and the Bible. Most commonly referring to evangelical or fundamentalist Christians who believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and that its enclosed laws and precepts should strongly guide public policy.
[edit] Big Business Party
U.S.: A term used to refer to the U.S. Democratic Party and U.S. Republican Party as being two different wings of the same party, implying that the U.S. has a one-party government whose main concern is not The People but corporate profits.
[edit] Blame America-Firster
Pejorative term used to describe those that question the role of U.S. foreign policy in precipitating attacks on the U.S. and its allies and interests.
[edit] Bleeding-heart liberal
U.S.: Used by conservatives to refer to liberals that are seen to stress emotionalism over rationalism - most often people liberal on social issues such as the death penalty or the drug war. Ted Kennedy is a prominent example of the type of liberal who attracts this epithet. Conservatives see these people as "soft on crime," thus allegedly encouraging crime and causing harm to society. Liberals have occasionally adopted the term for themselves, claiming that a bleeding heart is better than one made of stone.
[edit] Bloc-head
CAN: A derisive name used by Anglophones, for members of the separatist Bloc Québécois in Québec, Canada. Interestingly, Quebecois use the term "tête carrée" ("square head") as a derisive name for Anglophones.
[edit] Bloody Shirt
U.S.: Used in late 19th Century by Republicans, implying that the Democrats were responsible for provoking the U.S. Civil War. A speaker or writer expounding this viewpoint was said to "wave the bloody shirt." Some claim the term originates from a scene in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in which Marc Antony delivers the eulogy after Caesar was betrayed and murdered by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, and other members of the Roman Senate.
[edit] Blue-blood
U.S.: Used to refer to wealthy New Englanders with "old money", who are usually of WASP or old New York Dutch descent. They tend to be fiscally conservative, but may be socially liberal (see libertarianism). The term is also sometimes used by conservative Republicans to characterize Republicans who describe themselves as moderates (similar to the term "Country-club Republicans;" see below).
[edit] Blue Dog Democrats
U.S.: Term frequently used to describe Democrats who maintain their party affiliation, but align themselves with candidates and initiatives more politically conservative than most Democrats. Blue Dogs will more frequently vote for Republicans or Independents. The Blue Dog Coalition is allegedly a group of congressional representatives who hold this viewpoint; it was a coalition that came into existence in the mid-1990s. Cynical conservatives claim the organization exists only as a cover for liberals serving in conservative districts.
[edit] Blue Liberal
CAN: Term for a member of the Liberal Party of Canada who leans to the right of the party on fiscal policies. Not generally seen as pejorative. A variation of the older term Red Tory.
[edit] Bolshevik, Bolshevism
U.S. & UK: Derogatory term applied to members of the far left. It implies a connection with Communism, particularly the Russian variety.
The phrase was also used in Nazi Germany against enemies of Nazism, for example in Nazi propaganda posters.
See also: Commie, Communist, Judeo-bolshevism
[edit] Borrow and Spend Republican
U.S.: Used by liberals to label conservatives as favoring a cycle of continually reducing taxes without corresponding restraint in government spending, the result being "deficits as far as the eye can see." Contrast Tax and Spend Liberal.
[edit] Bourgeois, Bourgeoisie
When used neutrally, the term refers to the wealthy or propertied classes in a capitalist society. In Marxian political economics, the bourgeoisie is seen as the ruling class in industrial capitalism because of their ownership of the means of production which enables them to employ and exploit the work of waged workers (the working class). Some Communists use "bourgeois" as an insult; those who are perceived to collaborate with the bourgeoisie are often called its lackeys, as in "capitalist running dogs and their imperialist lackeys".
[edit] Brown Shirts
Originally the term referred to Nazi Germany's Sturmabteilung, or stormtroopers. Also called the SA, they came to be known as Brown Shirts due to the brown shirts that they wore as part of the uniform.
Following the defeat of the Nazis in the Second World War, the term brown shirts entered everyday language as a means to disparage the extreme rank and file of any political organization. It can also mean an individual of a political organization who is seen as very narrow-minded and excessively loyal. Sometimes the term is applied to those who are felt to have engaged in thug like behavior by their political opponents.
The term "Digital Brownshirts," a controversial phrase coined by former Vice-President Al Gore, was once used by Gore to disparage the right-leaning weblogs that criticize what they perceive as a liberal agenda in the mainstream media.
The term "Blackshirts," from the term for the militant fascist supporters of Mussolini, is sometimes used instead.
[edit] Bureaupublican
Used to describe elitist right-wing politicians who only care about their own profits and not the people's concerns. Compare Corporacrat.
[edit] Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS)
Term used to describe in a derogatory manner the thinking of those who are vehemently opposed to George W. Bush and his policies.
[edit] Bushevik
A term for a supporter of the George W. Bush administration and its policies, particularly one who works for the government. By anology with Bolshevik, it implies a totalitarian attitude towards governance and a cavalier attitude towards civil rights. Similar to Bushista.
[edit] Bushista
A term used to describe a follower of George W. Bush's administration. By anology with Sandinista, it implies a militaristic attitude and a willingness to employ extreme measures to achieve objectives. Similar to Bushevik.
[edit] Bushwhacker
U.S., pre-civil war era: Term used by opponents of slavery to denote the various groups of pro-slavery or simply opportunist bandits and militants who raided and killed abolitionists in Kansas and Missouri in the Bleeding Kansas period.
[edit] C
[edit] Capitalist Roader
People's Republic of China: Used against Deng Xiaoping by those in the Chinese Communist Party (including the Gang of Four) in order to purge him 3 times; he was later rehabilitated into the party thrice and led China in the 1980s and 1990s.
[edit] Capitalist Pig
Used by anti-capitalists to refer to capitalists, implying that those who enrich themselves under capitalism are greedy as pigs.
[edit] Card-carrying member of the ACLU
U.S.: Used most often by conservatives to insult liberals who may advocate policies similar to that of the American Civil Liberties Union. In the 1988 presidential election, the then-Vice President George H.W. Bush called then-Governor Michael Dukakis a "card-carrying member of the ACLU," which Dukakis proudly acknowledged. [5] The term now serves as a jocular recruitment slogan for the ACLU. [6]
[edit] Carpetbagger
Post-American Civil War U.S.: Original usage by white Southerners for the Northerners that came South after the Civil War, viewed as "carpetbaggers" - opportunists and exploiters bent on grabbing economic and political benefits. This was possible due to former Confederate soldiers and officers being barred from holding public office and in some cases owning land. The term originated from a popular form of baggage carried by these individuals, a type of large bag made from cheap carpet fabric. This type of bag was also often used to transport money in train payroll deliveries.[7]
Contemporary Usage in U.S.: Politicians who move to a new jurisdiction in order to meet a residency requirement for holding public office. Senator Hillary Clinton is frequently decried as an Arkansas carpetbagger in New York state.
UK: Supporters of the conversion of mutual building societies into banks purely for reasons of personal financial gain.
[edit] Champagne socialist
UK, Canada: The phrase refers to politicians who are perceived as having socialist tendencies in their political views and policies but disregard socialist ideals in their daily life. The term generally is used as an attack by opposing politicians to portray and ridicule their opponents as hypocritical.
Similar terms in other countries include limousine liberal, latte liberal or East-coast liberal (United States), chardonnay socialist (Australia), latte sippers (Britain and Australasia), Gucci socialist, and gauche caviar (France).
[edit] Chauvinist Pig
Used to describe a man as having a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his own sex; often extended to describe a man as one who hates women, or to one who believes in different roles and standards for the two sexes. Also Pig, Male Chauvinist, and Male Chauvinist Pig.
The original usage of this term (which is in recent resurgence) refers to an arrogant favorite of Napoleon, his loyal follower Nicolas Chauvin, a French ultra-nationalist.
[edit] Cheese-eating surrender monkeys
U.S., UK: A provocative phrase used to mock France for their famous surrenders in the Franco-Prussian War, World War II, North Africa, and French Indochina, and for their reputation as gourmets. Coined by writers of the animated television show, The Simpsons, the phrase was repeated by the political right in the United States and the United Kingdom in the run-up to the Iraq War, especially by Jonah Goldberg.
[edit] Chickendove
U.S.: An epithet used to criticize an anti-war protester who will only protest against "safe" protest targets (usually democratic free countries)--even if the "unsafe" target is truly the one at fault. For example, (at the time) protesting against US or British involvement in World War II but not protesting German or Japanese involvement in the war; or protesting against retaliatory strikes by Israel but not protesting against terrorist actions by groups such as Hamas.
[edit] Chickenhawk
U.S.: An epithet used to criticize a politician, bureaucrat, or commentator who votes for war, supports war, commands a war, or develops war policy, but avoided service in the military, implicitly by favors from well-placed parents or by lying to draft officials. More pointedly may refer to men who were of draft age during the Vietnam War but avoided service, yet later professed support for that war. Also a sexual term for those persons that desire underaged sexual partners.
[edit] Class warfare
In its original meaning, class warfare is a Marxist term referring to the sometimes violent struggle between the ruling class (bourgeoisie) and the working class (proletariat).
As a pejorative, class warfare is often used by conservatives to attack perceived left-wing hatred of the wealthy, often in relation to left-wing policies of wealth redistribution, which conservatives believe to be "punishing" the rich for economic success.
It is also used by liberals to attack perceived right-wing hatred of the poor, often in relation to right-wing policies of "trickle-down" economics or policies designed to force the poor to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", which liberals believe to be based on flawed logic or the Puritanical notion that poor people deserve to be punished because their economic status is somehow proof of their inherent "badness" or immorality.
[edit] Clintonista
A portmanteau of President Bill Clinton's name and the word "Sandinista" of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, a socialist political party in Nicaragua. The term is used by conservatives to refer to members of the Clinton administration.
[edit] Commie, Communist
This term in and of itself became a slur during the Cold War. Also "pinko commie" or "Commie Pinko Fag", popularized during the Vietnam war.
[edit] Communist Sympathizer
A person sympathetic to the Communist Party and/or the Soviet Union during the Cold War but not an outright Communist. These persons were seen as apologists for Communism, or as "soft" on Communism. Probably very similar in meaning but more insulting than "Fellow Traveller". Widely used in the USA and other countries. Sometimes shortened to "Comsymp".
[edit] Con
CAN: A term used by opponents of the new Conservative Party of Canada, by its liberal and left-wing opponents and also by former supporters of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada who opposed the merger with the right-wing Canadian Alliance which created the new conservative party.
[edit] Conchie, conchy
UK: A common disparaging term in the UK during the World War I for "conscientious objector". Also an ethnic slur used by Caribbean blacks for whites.
[edit] Corporacrat
Used to describe elitist left-wing politicians who only care about their own corporate gain. Compare Bureaupublican.
[edit] Corporate fascism
"Corporate Fascism" is a sometimes disparaging term that is increasingly used to describe a situation where political and economic decisions are made with the primary purpose of satisfying corporate demands, rather than the needs of the people.
[edit] Corporate Feudalism or Neofeudalism
A term used to describe policies of various right-wing politicians, particularly those in the United States Republican Party, that are seen as radically increasing the wealth and income distribution gap between the rich and the poor while increasing the power of the rich and decreasing the power of the poor. See also: Neofeudalism and wealth condensation
[edit] Corporate-jet conservative
U.S.: A term coined by Joe Conason[8] and used by the left to refer to super-rich conservatives. It implies (like Country-club Republicans) that the main aim of conservatives is to make the rich richer, and is also intended to suggest that they are even richer than the limousine liberals they despise.
[edit] Corporate Press
U.S.: A term used by the left to refer to the news media, especially in the United States (where most of it is privately owned; often by major corporations and holding companies), alleging a pro-corporate or conservative bias. Compare with Liberal Press
[edit] Corporate Socialist
Term used to describe big business practices of privatizing profit and socializing financial risk. Ralph Nader often referred to the practice in this manner.
[edit] Corporatocracy
Corporatocracy (sometimes corporocracy) is a neologism coined by proponents of the Global Justice Movement to describe a government bowing to pressure from corporate entities. While anyone can become a shareholder in principle, in reality it is frequently only the wealthy who can afford to own enough stock to directly influence the voting (and hence the activities) of a corporation. Hence the corporatocracy might be considered somewhat synonymous with plutocracy, government by the rich.
[edit] Corporate welfare
Corporate welfare is a term used by opponents of special privileges given to corporations such as tax breaks or subsidies. It is implied that the corporations are less deserving than the poor, the traditional recipients of welfare. The recipients of corporate welfare are sometimes called corporate welfare bums.
[edit] Counterrevolutionary
In neutral use, the term refers to an active opponent of a certain revolution of one kind or another. As an epithet, it is used by communists to refer to both active and passive opponents of a communist revolution. Also used as an epithet against party members who deviate from orthodoxy, or question/disagree with the leadership.
[edit] Country-club Democrats
A term used to describe members of the Democratic party who make a show of trying to help the disenfranchised, but are actually motivated by self interest. [9]
[edit] Country-club Republicans
A term implying that the real goal of leaders of the GOP is to make the rich even richer, and that issues such as abortion and gay rights are used to gain political support in order to enact a plutocratic agenda. The term is most frequently used by social conservatives (similar in usage to the term Blue-blood; see above).
[edit] Crony and cronyism
Refers to partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to public office without regard for their qualifications. (based on the Greek khronios/khronos meaning long time)
[edit] Crony capitalist
Describing a capitalist whose success in business depends on an extremely close relationship with state institutions of politics and government. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth.
[edit] Crypto–
A prefix used to imply that a person secretly holds certain political beliefs. The most common examples of this usage are probably cryptocommunist (a closet communist) and cryptofascist (a closet fascist).
[edit] Culture war
U.S.: This term has been used to describe ideologically-driven and often strident confrontations typical of American public cultural and political discourse since the 1960s, but becoming especially pronounced beginning in the 1980s. It is more often used by the American right than the American left. The term evokes the 19th-century German Kulturkampf.
[edit] D
[edit] Dalek
Originated in New South Wales within the Liberal Party of Australia to describe any power-hungry individual from the right faction aggressively engaging in branch stacking.
[edit] Death tax
U.S.: A term used by opponents of estate taxes to refer to it.
[edit] Democrat Party
A term used in the United States by some Republicans since the 1920s to imply that the Democratic Party is not democratic. It has been more frequently used in the last decade, and is employed, almost exclusively, by President George W. Bush and other high ranking Republicans. See the "Use of the term "Democrat Party" section of the article History of the Republican Party for more information.
[edit] DemocRATs, Demoncrat, DemonRats, etc.
U.S.: Terms imply that members of the Democratic Party are malevolent rodents, or simply demonic.
[edit] Demoncracy, demonocracy
A term used by opponents of democracy, etymology based on combining "demon" with "democracy" suggesting connection with satanic forces.
[edit] Dhimmi, Dhimmitude, Dhimmicrat
Critics of Islam sometimes brand as dhimmis (from the Arabic word dhimmi - non-Muslims living in an Islamic state who are second-class citizens and must, according to the Koran, pay a tax unless they convert to Islam) those non-Muslims who they perceive as have too sympathetic a view towards Islam (for example - the term is used by American conservatives against opponents of the 2003 invasion of Iraq). Variations of this epithet are "dhimmicrat" (a pro-Muslim member of the U.S. Democratic Party), or "Dhimmi Carter" (Jimmy Carter, who they regard as spinelessly caving in to the Iranian Islamist revolutionaries in 1979).
[edit] DINO
The term is a semi-acronym of "Democrat in name only". It is used by the more liberal members of the Democratic party toward members of the more conservative or moderate wing. An anologous term RINO refers to "Republican in name only".
[edit] Dipper
CAN: A member of the New Democratic Party of Canada. The name comes from the DP in the party's initials. It is used as an epithet, but is also used self-referentially by some NDP supporters in the same manner as "Tory" and "Grit" for Conservatives and Liberals respectively.
[edit] Dirty Hippie
U.S., UK & CAN: Used by conservatives to refer to certain liberals and socialists. Comes from the poor personal hygiene and mode of dress of many hippies during the 1960s and 1970s, stereotypically perceived as including unshaved beards, long hair, bare feet, obesity or no bras. It is also based on the alleged tendency to wear too much Patchouli oil, the smell of which can be overpowering.
[edit] Dittohead
U.S.: Refers to devout listeners of right-wing political pundit Rush Limbaugh, who are typically in total agreement with the radio talk show host. Call-in "Dittoheads" often say "Mega Dittoes, Rush" to succinctly indicate that they concur with everything the previous caller (or Rush, himself) has said. Critics use the phrase to describe a person that mindlessly agrees with everything Limbaugh has to say. Dittoheads actually don't say "dittoes" or "mega dittoes" for the reason given above. It actually came into being as a way for callers to not go through the same, "love the show" preamble every time and bogging down the proceedings. It necer meant that they agreed with what was just said or everything that Limbaugh says.
[edit] Dixiecrat
U.S.: Term used by civil rights activists to describe Southern Democrats who enacted and enforced Jim Crow laws, and obstructed equal rights for African Americans and racial integration. It derives from a Democratic splinter party who opposed civil rights legislation in 1948. They called themselves the States Rights Party, but the popular term was Dixiecrats.
[edit] Dog-whistle politics
UK & U.S.: Dog-whistle politics is a term used to describe a type of political campaigning which is "only heard" by a specific intended audience. It is usually used pejoratively by those that do not approve of the tactics.
[edit] DUmmy, DUmmies
U.S.: Used by conservatives for active users of liberal blog Democratic Underground [10]. Also used by conservative bloggers (and others on the U.S. political right) as a generic term to describe left wing political activists (whether associated with Democratic Underground or not).
[edit] Dummycrat and Dumbacrat
U.S.: Used by conservatives to criticize supporters of the U.S. Democratic Party. Less venomous than Dhimmicrat.
[edit] E
[edit] East-coast liberal
U.S.: refers to one or more stereotypes of left-leaning denizens of the Eastern Seaboard, particularly journalists or academics. As used by some, it could be a thinly-disguised codeword for "Jewish liberal". During the 2004 election, John Kerry was called a "Massachusetts liberal", which carried the same connotations as limousine liberal or champagne socialist in addition to negative connotations among conservatives about Massachusetts' gay marriage policy.
[edit] Environmentalist wacko, econazi and ecoterrorists
U.S.: Environmentalist wacko, Econazi and Ecoterrorists are phrases often used by talk show host Rush Limbaugh and others to describe environmentalists. See also: eco-terrorism
[edit] Eurocrat
A play on the word "bureaucrat", applied mainly to those who work in the institutions of the European Union (especially the European Commission). It is overwhelmingly used in a negative sense. The term "Men from Brussels" is a synonym used by the Tories in the United Kingdom.
[edit] Extremist
A term designating either of the two far ends of the traditional political spectrum. Often used as an insult to imply that one's opponents hold unusual views that should not receive popular support.
[edit] F
[edit] Falangist
Originally, a member of the Spanish Falange, now sometimes used as a synonym for "fascist".
[edit] Fascist
This term was initially coined by Benito Mussolini to describe his distinct nationalist and authoritarian ideology. After World War II, fascism as an ideology was discredited throughout most of the Western world (largely due to its perceived associations with Nazi perpetrated war crimes such as the Holocaust). Subsequently, very few individuals describe themselves as fascist today, and the term is generally used mostly as a pejorative political epithet directed against (often right-wing) political opponents of the term-user, whose policies are perceived as resembling those of the historical Fascists (or Nazis), in that they are authoritarian or perhaps racist in nature.
Novelist and political commentator George Orwell argued that "as used, the word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless... I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else." Because of the wide variety of contradictory usages, the word "Fascist" often carries little specific meaning.
[edit] Fearmongers
U.S.: Largely used in American Politics by parties describing the election rhetoric of their opponents. It has been used by the Republicans in response to allegations they they wish to eliminate Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and school lunches. It has also been used by the Democrats, particularly Howard Dean in 2003, in regards to the impetus for the War in Iraq and the War on Terror.
[edit] Federast
Europe: A pun on pederast and Federalism used by French politician Jean Marie Le Pen against those who want the European Union to become a federation. The term was originally coined by members of the Bruges Group, a British euro-sceptic think tank founded in the late 1980s.
[edit] Fellow traveller
People who "walked part of the way" with Communist parties, without actually joining those parties, and without sharing all the watchwords and ideology of Soviet Communism.
"Europe:" In pre-war and post-war Europe, the term, carrying no pejorative connotations, was used to describe those who, without being card-carrying Communists, had Communist sympathies, and sometimes acted in close connection with the Third International and the Soviet regime: attending Communist meetings, writing in Communist journals, and even fighting alongside Communists in Spain, Greece or Yugoslavia. Many journalists, intellectuals and artists have been described (and sometimes referred to themselves) as fellow-travellers.
U.S.: Term used to describe those who were linked with communists, during the McCarthy Era. Conservative artist Norman Rockwell made a pun of this phrase with a painting of two children walking in the country, entitled "Fellow Travellers"
[edit] Feminazi
U.S.: Feminazi is a term made popular by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh to refer to women for whom "the most important thing in life is seeing to it that as many abortions as possible are performed". The term "Feminista" is also used by other political pundits.
Others now use the term more loosely to describe almost any active and militant feminist. The term is also sometimes used to describe politically correct movements, such as those who draw attention to allegedly sexist language in daily life.
[edit] Fence-sitter
One who "sits on the fence", i.e., refuses to commit himself to either one side of a political issue or the other, preferring to waver in the middle. (Also a term for bisexuals - see also see List of sexual slurs.)
[edit] Fiberals/Fibber
CAN: A derisive term for the Ontario Liberal Party government under Premier Dalton McGuinty, who critics charge have broken a great many election promises. This term was introducted after Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara added a health premium to cope according to the Liberals with a deficit left by the previous Progressive Conservative government.
The term "Fibber" was also used to describe McGunity himself and synonymus of the word liar and many demonstrations and protests have featured posters and gimmicks of Pinocchio and the puppet's nose that grows after a lie (or in this case ever broken promise).
Fiberal has also been used to describe the federal Liberal Party of Canada after the Sponsorship scandal.
[edit] Fifth column, fifth columnist
Global: Term for a group of people who clandestinely undermines from within a larger group to which it is expected to be loyal, such as a nation.
The term is also used in reference to a population who are assumed to have loyalties to countries other than those in which they reside. During World War II, the Japanese American internment in the U.S. was justified on the basis that those of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast would act as a fifth column. Today some on the Right in Western countries see radical Islamists as being a fifth column of a global Islamist movement, with its notion of a transnational Ummah. In Taiwan, some people suspect there is a fifth column from mainland China working to undermine the cause of Taiwan independence.
The term originated with a 1936 radio address by Emilio Mola, a Nationalist general during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. As four of his army columns moved on Madrid, the general referred to his militant supporters within the capital as his "fifth column," intent on undermining the Republicans from within.
[edit] Flip-Flopper
A politician who is claimed indecisive by his or her opponent based on an allegedly inconsistent or contradicting voting record and/or speech rhetoric.
[edit] Flunkey
A politician who is excessively obsequiously subservient to somebody else.
[edit] Fourth Reich
U.S., Germany: Used by the political left to refer to Neo-Nazis (in Germany) or political conservatives generally, especially those actually in power (in U.S.). The term is intended to convey the idea that those so characterized share common views, at least to some degree, with the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler. It has also taken on a more broadly pejorative meaning as a description of the European Union used by Euroskeptics, wary of the perceived "Germanocentrism" of the Union.
[edit] Freeper
U.S.: Term used for active users of conservative blog Free Republic[11]. Also used by liberal bloggers (and others on the U.S. political left) as a generic term to describe right wing political activists (whether associated with Free Republic or not). Much like the term yankee; whether or not freeper is a pejorative term depends on who is using it.
[edit] G
[edit] Gang of …
U.S.: The term Gang of … (insert number) refers to the Gang of Four, close associates of Mao, who ruled the People's Republic of China after his death. They were overthrown and arrested shortly thereafter. The term can be used to refer to political operatives who are overzealous and ultra-orthodox. In the United Kingdom, the principal founders of the Social Democratic Party were also known as the 'Gang of Four'.
Recently it has been referred to the Gang of Fourteen, a group of Senators, both Democrat and Republican, who negotiated a compromise to avoid the deployment of the so-called nuclear option over the organized use of the filibuster by Senate Democrats in opposition to judicial nominees in the U.S. Senate in early 2005.
[edit] Gay agenda
U.S.: Phrase used by conservatives to oppose any new extension of legal rights and privileges to homosexuals, on the grounds that homosexuals are seen as working gradually to abolish all sexual morality. Also known as the "militant homosexual agenda." [12]
[edit] Girlie Men
U.S.: Term used by then California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger to describe his political opponents as "Economic Girlie Men." This term was first popularized by faux bodybuilders Hans and Franz on Saturday Night Live. When Schwarzenegger first used it himself, it drew criticism for being potentially sexist or homophobic; the buzz seems to merely have made Schwarzenegger like the term more.
[edit] Gloom and Doom Democrat
First used by conservatives in the Reagan-Bush years to chastise the large-scale pessimism expressed by Democratic politicians and question their faith in the American spirit.
[edit] Godless communist
U.S.: Used by some religious believers, mostly Christian conservatives, as a descriptive term for self professed communists, based on Marx's famous comment that "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opiate of the masses." [13] Most communist states have actively tried to discourage organized religion (and often persecuted religious leaders), though only Albania banned religion outright. The "Society of the Godless" was an actual organization in the Soviet Union for a time. But see also religious communism, which included a movement in the 19th-Century that sought to establish utopian communities in the United States.
[edit] Government cheese
U.S.: Term used by opponents of redistribution of wealth as a synonym for the government's alleged largess. This term is also used by supporters of redistribution of wealth as a synonym for the government's alleged parsimony. Also used in urban slang to refer to people on welfare (surplus cheese is disbursed to the needy in the U.S.). See "government handouts." The singling out of 'cheese' is possibly due to the rather "unique" texture, odor, and general culinarity qualities (or lack thereof) in the particular cheese distributed by the US government.
[edit] Government handouts
Term used by opponents of wealth redistribution to imply that unearned entitlements are unjust. Also used by opponents of corporate subsidies to imply that tax relief and aid to for-profit corporations is unjust. See also: Corporate welfare
[edit] Granola
U.S. & CAN: Epithet used to refer to West Coast leftists, based on granola's constituency of fruits, nuts, and flakes. This food was popularized in the U.S. by members of the 1960s & 1970s counterculture, also lending a leftist slant on the term. This has also been attributed to a routine from the comic Leo Gallagher. [14]
[edit] Greenie or greeny
An environmentalist or Green party supporter. Also called a "greenie-weenie."
[edit] Grit
CAN: A colloquial term for a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. In the 1870's, an Upper Canada radical reformist party named the Clear Grits merged with reformers in Quebec to form the Liberals. Clear Grit was a complimentary term meaning tenacious or dedicated. Not pejorative.
[edit] Gun grabber
U.S.: An accusatory term used by gun owners to refer to gun control advocates or opponents of gun ownership. See Gun politics in the United States.
[edit] Gun nut
U.S.: An accusatory term used by advocates of gun control or opponents of legal gun ownership to characterize gun owners as irrational and obsessive. See Gun politics in the United States
[edit] H
[edit] Harpercrite
CAN: A derisive name given to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper after he, hours after being sworn into office, proceeded to appoint a former Liberal cabinet minister who left the Liberal Party to join the now-governing Conservative Party of Canada to his new cabinet. Harper had openly criticized former prime minister Paul Martin's decision to give former Conservative MP Belinda Stronach a cabinet posting after she joined the Liberal Party months before. The name may also have been coined in protest against Harper's decision to appoint an unelected individual to the Canadian Senate so that he could hold a cabinet position, despite having vowed to implement an elected senate during the election campaign. Both appointments were made at the same time.
[edit] Helengrad
NZ: Pejorative term in New Zealand politics applied to New Zealand's capital city Wellington. It is sometimes used by New Zealand Labour Party opponents and critics to describe New Zealand as a whole and occasionally the fifth Labour government itself.
[edit] Heterophobia, homosexist
Heterophobia is the dislike of heterosexuality or persons who are heterosexual. Homosexism is the belief that homosexuality is the only natural sexual orientation. These terms were created to parallel the more commonly used words "homophobia" and "heterosexism" to describe people who are opposed to gay rights.
[edit] Hitler
Used by virtually all sides of all debates with the hope of discrediting opposing viewpoints. For example, with regards to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, right-wingers claim that anti-war activists are similar to those who appeased Hitler in the 1930s, while left-wingers claim that supporters of the war are similar to those who helped Hitler. Like "fascist," the strong connotations of "Hitler" often obstruct substantive dialogue.
See also Godwin's Law.
[edit] Homophobia, heterosexist
Heterosexism is a belief that heterosexuality is the only natural sexual orientation; homophobia was coined by analogy with psychological phobias to mean a dislike of homosexuality. Both terms are used to disparage persons and organizations that oppose gay rights.
[edit] Hoplophobe
A yet to be fully recognized but highly popular term coined by Jeff Cooper, a former Marine, acknowledged as the "Father of Modern Shooting." Denotes virtually anyone who is anti-gun or anti-Second Amendment.
[edit] Human Shill
Contemptuous pun based on "human shield." Term relates to antiwar activists who abandoned their mission in Iraq when they realized they might be placed in harms way. [15]
[edit] I
[edit] Idiotarian
Used by warbloggers (weblogging supporters of the Iraqi War) to imply that some of their opponents are idiots. It is applied to people who are from both sides of the political spectrum, for example, Pat Robertson and Dennis Kucinich
[edit] India Basher
UK: Often used for prominent western politicians who are critial of India as a political entity, and who have supported separationist movements (Khalistan, Nagalim, JK Liberation Front etc.) in India. These include Edolphus Towns, Dan Burton, Jesse James and Lord Avebury of the UK.
[edit] International Jewish Conspiracy, International Jewry
An idea particularly favored by Hitler, Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh, other anti-Semites, and many Arab governments, that said that there was an international conspiracy of Jews to dominate the rest of mankind. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, allegedly written by Jews, has been used as evidence - even though it was actually a proven forgery written by a German agitator and widely used by the Okhranka (the secret police of Tsarist Russia). International Jewry is occasionally used non-pejoratively to refer to Jews worldwide, e.g. [16].
[edit] Islamofascism or Islamic fascism
Used to compare the ideological or operational characteristics of certain modern Islamist movements with European fascist movements of the early 20th century, neofascist movements, or totalitarianism.<ref>Whether this is pejorative and/or a true description is a subject of debate.</ref> Organizations that have been labeled Islamofascist include Al-Qaeda, the current Iranian government,<ref>Mortal threat. The Washington Times (2006-01-17).</ref> the Taliban, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah. None label themselves fascist, however, and critics of the term argue that associating the religion of Islam with fascism is both offensive and historically inaccurate. See: Islamofascism (term), Neofascism and religion#Islam
[edit] Islamophobia
Used to imply that those critical of Islam suffer from a psychological disorder or irrational fear of Islam, Islamic culture, or Muslims. Some targets of the epithet respond that in their view, fear of Islam is perfectly rational, and that the concept of "Islamophobia" is as nonsensical as the concept of "Naziphobia".
[edit] J
[edit] Jack-Booted Thugs
This term was used in the 1990s (when Janet Reno was U.S. Attorney General) by the American political right (most especially by the radio talk show host G. Gordon Liddy) to describe federal law enforcement officers who were perceived to be overly aggressive or to be using excessive force in the execution of their duties. The term was especially applied to members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (when making arrests and seizing guns), to the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI (for the Ruby Ridge incident and the assault on the David Koresh compound in Waco, Texas), and to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (for the taking into federal custody of Elián González).
In 1995, Executive Vice President of the NRA Wayne LaPierre penned a fundraising letter in which he referred to federal law enforcement agents as "jack-booted thugs." While not written in relationship to the tragedy, the letter was mailed shortly after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The letter prompted the resignation of many long-standing NRA members including former President George H. Bush.
This term is considered by some to be the flip-side of the term "Pig," which was used by the American political left to describe law enforcement officers (and others in authority) in the 1960s.
[edit] JewNazi, Judeo-Nazi, Zionazi
Terms used by particularly vocal opponents of Israel and Zionism and some anti-Semites [17] [18] [19] [20][21] [22] [23] who advocate the view that aspects of Judaism, Zionism, or Israeli government policy towards Ar