There’s a clear campaign against the mentally ill with the global rise of fascism. Lots of it shows up in anti homeless rhetoric, but you can see it in the MAHA and anti vaccination movements.
There’s no reason to use the word “r-tarded” to describe someone. As someone who’s worked with the intellectually challenged, it’s an insult to them to compare them with people who are willfully ignorant.
What would one call a person that is willfully uneducated, ignorant, bigoted, makes bad-faith arguments and acts foolishly, without being “ableist”?
If my intention is to offend that person?
Wild how so many people in here can’t seem to offend anyone without using slurs. It really speaks to a lack of skill and creativity. I offend people all the time, sometimes, I even offend people when I’m not even trying to. Get on my level, scrub.
But no, for sure, the only way to call out bigots is to use bigoted terms yourself. Yeah, that’ll show them. Look, it’s not like you want to use slurs, of course not, but using slurs is just the only possible way to call out bigots. Right.
Asshole.
Can you please a comprehensive list of “slurs” that contains their transition from “official medical description” to “slur”? Otherwise a “slur” is an amorphous social construct that is always evolving.
You probably think that “tankie” is a slur, don’t you, tankie?
Yes, obviously? No shit.
See, you’re doing it! I’m so proud of you! Turns out you can insult people without disparaging marginalized people in the process!
Oh look, the tankie arrives at my initial point, only took you a bit. It is precisely that I “cannot” insult your inability to understand something, without allegedly “disparaging marginalized people”
I’d call you slow, but there are other slow people that are not being dumb, don’t want to disparage them.
Damn, back to the ableist language again. Keep trying! Someday, I’m sure you’ll get it!
Slow in speed. I don’t know why you’re dragging in disabled people into this.
Straight out of the right’s playbook. "Actually, you’re the racist for bringing race into it and assuming I was talking about black people when I said ‘n----.’
Go back to Truth Social.
Projection. Classic tankie tactics.
The R word means non of what you said.
Dumbass, asshole, giant turd, negative iq, dumber than a turd, smooth brained, piece of shit, fuck face, etc.
Get creative, no need to insult innocent people by using slurs.
This is no different than calling someone the N word, and I’m sure that while some people use the N word as an insult, you probably don’t, right?
“Negative IQ” hahaha, I’ve never heard it said like a label/name. Made me snort just now.
That makes no sense.
“dumb” and “negative iq” - that’s the same “ableist language” that “retard” is.
Not all “dumb” or “low iq” people are evil, I am not trying to drag them into this.
And “piece of shit” or “fuck face” does not address the “uneducated” part.
Historical context matters.
N igger came from the word Negro which just means black, but slavery and abuse of black people has changed the context of the word.
Dumb and negative iq do not have the same historical context as R etard.
“IQ” is most literally where it came from. Together with “moron”, “imbecile”, “idiot”
Since we all agree that IQ is not an actual quantification of intelligence those words are now used as means to attempt to offend someone, without relation to their medical history or mental aptitude.
Simple solution: Just add “uneducated” to the front of either phrase.
Many of “fuck faces” have degrees, so singling it out isn’t effective.
Then don’t add it for those fuck faces, numbnut. 🤦♂️
Cool, let me collect the educational background of each fuckface I want to offend. Genius.
Jesus christ, use your natural intelligence people, for once.
You said want to offend them, it shouldn’t matter what’s true or not, right? Use that big brain of yours.
How is “uneducated” offensive in any way? Do you not understand what “offensive” is?
How is this different to “retard”? Not every uneducated person is evil or bad. They’re also a marginalized minority. Education isn’t free, nor is it accessible everywhere in the world with ease.
See where this is going?
I’d probably point them to this thread and call them “@MrSmith@lemmy.world”
No u
What’s wrong with “uneducated, ignorant, bigoted fool”?
Again, you could use that in an email to the queen or a politician.
I’m not trying to make them laugh, I’m trying to offend them.
“willfully uneducated, ignorant, bigoted, makes bad-faith arguments and acts foolishly” all seem like perfectly cromulent words there.
That was not offensive, that was a description.
Have you ever successfully offended a person ever in your life?
Life isn’t just comprised of “strongly worded letters”.
When people call me “r-tarded,” I don’t feel offended. What I’ve noticed, the majority of the time, is that people call me that when they have nothing to back up an argument they made. I just got it from a conservative on Facebook posting a gif in response to something like “are you okay supporting a pedophile?”
More than being insulted, I mostly felt sad for how pathetic the person calling me that.
In general, I don’t see that much point to insulting people? Cool, I can make someone mad because I’m also angry with them, and instead of anyone learning anything we’re all just pissed off now. Some people do need to be told in detail how they are a shitty, bigoted person perhaps, but calling them a “r-tard” doesn’t communicate that.
People have feelings and it is human to vent them out. That’s why swear words exist. I am not plannin to educate wach and every nazi I come across, and I really don’t care whether they’re pissed off or not.
Having intention to offend people is OK, sometimes it kicks-off self-reflection that a politely-worded official statement would not.
I refuse to being tone-policed. I am human.
“Please consider what words you use and whether some may be actively harmful to people you aren’t even trying to insult.”
“I’m being policed!!!”
Nice strawman, can we get back on topic?
Here’s a refresher. You: don’t use “x” to insult
Me: what can I use to insult
You: don’t insult
Straw man:
Here’s an actual insult - imagine going through this many logical contortions to justify not being creative enough to come up with an insult that isn’t harmful to people you aren’t trying to insult.
You’ve just confirmed that you do not know what an insult is.
The “don’t police me” part was aimed at your “don’t offend people at all”, it seems that I need to clarify that for you.
Moron? Doesn’t hit the same tho. Fuckin moron?
Same as “retard”. Used to be a medical description, now an “ableist slur”.
Same as “stupid”, “idiot” etc. etc.
Wait i can’t use “moron” anymore? That’s retarded
I’m not tone policing. I’m fine wirh using whatever words if their intention does not aim to attack a person of a minority because they’re a part of that minority.
I. E. Retard does not. N-word does.
I just call 'em Maga.