Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Third Way [View all]woo me with science
(32,139 posts)17. Oh, this talking point again: "YOU CALLED ME A DOG!!!!111!11!"
The corporate mouthpieces here are still trying to make "Third Way" into an epithet rather than the useful descriptor of policy positions it actually is. That is what authoritarians do: try to discredit language so as to take away the words we need to describe what is being done to us.
YOU CALLED ME A DOG!!!!111!11
(The attempt to discredit the useful terms: "authoritarian" and "Third Way"
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4713041
...Authoritarians and the Third Way don't like being called what they are, and since they can't yet prohibit words and restrict others to an approved Newspeak Dictionary, they settle for flailing at and attempting to discredit the individual words they dislike.
This tactic...is most amusing in one-to-one settings. When someone uses an accurate word to describe what you are doing or advocating, just put the word in quotation marks, add some exclamation points, and try to neutralize it by pretending it's an epithet instead of an accurate descriptor. We have all seen it here 1,000 times. A person's politics are described as Third Way, and he or she rears up in indignation, expressing shock at the "namecalling."
Well, no. "Third Way" means something. It is not an epithet, but rather descriptive shorthand for a clear and specific set of political values and policies. You can see what "Third Way" means by going to the Third Way website, where the goals and policies - liberal on the social issues unimportant to the One Percent but corporate and authoritarian on virtually everything else - are clearly delineated.
Those who embrace and defend Third Way policies don't want to admit it, so they try to make the term an epithet...something to be dismissed as namecalling or even banned by a jury so that it can't be accurately applied to them on the forums. And now we are hearing the same sort of defensive attempts to discredit the word when authoritarianism is called "authoritarianism."
Of course "authoritarian" means something. Brazen defense of a government's spying on its own citizens is indisputably authoritarian.
I always picture an indignant poodle rearing up in outrage and exclaiming, "What?! You called me a DOG?!"
Orwell was right. Defending against authoritarianism *requires* defending language, because authoritarians will try to twist, discredit, or take away the words that are necessary for us to describe what is being done to us.
(The attempt to discredit the useful terms: "authoritarian" and "Third Way"
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4713041
...Authoritarians and the Third Way don't like being called what they are, and since they can't yet prohibit words and restrict others to an approved Newspeak Dictionary, they settle for flailing at and attempting to discredit the individual words they dislike.
This tactic...is most amusing in one-to-one settings. When someone uses an accurate word to describe what you are doing or advocating, just put the word in quotation marks, add some exclamation points, and try to neutralize it by pretending it's an epithet instead of an accurate descriptor. We have all seen it here 1,000 times. A person's politics are described as Third Way, and he or she rears up in indignation, expressing shock at the "namecalling."
Well, no. "Third Way" means something. It is not an epithet, but rather descriptive shorthand for a clear and specific set of political values and policies. You can see what "Third Way" means by going to the Third Way website, where the goals and policies - liberal on the social issues unimportant to the One Percent but corporate and authoritarian on virtually everything else - are clearly delineated.
Those who embrace and defend Third Way policies don't want to admit it, so they try to make the term an epithet...something to be dismissed as namecalling or even banned by a jury so that it can't be accurately applied to them on the forums. And now we are hearing the same sort of defensive attempts to discredit the word when authoritarianism is called "authoritarianism."
Of course "authoritarian" means something. Brazen defense of a government's spying on its own citizens is indisputably authoritarian.
I always picture an indignant poodle rearing up in outrage and exclaiming, "What?! You called me a DOG?!"
Orwell was right. Defending against authoritarianism *requires* defending language, because authoritarians will try to twist, discredit, or take away the words that are necessary for us to describe what is being done to us.
[font color=red]Reject, do not engage, Third Way talking points. [/font color]
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5767160
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5767160
Going to threads about important issues like the TPP and the looming renewal of the Patriot Act now, rather than kicking these stale Third Way talking points.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
249 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Yes, you mean that big corporations are our lords that take priority over everyone else
AZ Progressive
May 2015
#82
Maybe I ought to drink more in order to buy that argument. I could stop but.
Katashi_itto
May 2015
#146
It is not odd at all that you have so little understanding of National Politics, Party Politics,
bvar22
May 2015
#226
It is a ridiculous question because it neither validates nor invalidates the individuals perspective
TheKentuckian
May 2015
#119
Asinine "point" your geography is not transferable to your personal liberal "cred"
TheKentuckian
May 2015
#117
My House rep is Lois Capps (D), gods bless her. She is a quiet, absolutely solid Dem...
Hekate
May 2015
#209
The other point is that the average person who yell's "Third Way" has no idea what they stand for
brooklynite
May 2015
#5
I have received pm's from friends here stating they could no longer be DU friends with me,
misterhighwasted
May 2015
#8
HRC - Is In Fact - A DLC Third Waver - She Represents Wall Street And The 1% As Well
cantbeserious
May 2015
#202
The OP has no logical point. If someone from their district disagrees with them then what?
TheKentuckian
May 2015
#239
Entitlement reform. They to want to privatize SS. Lower taxes on Corporations
octoberlib
May 2015
#149
Putting corporate profits before people is what people associate with the Third Way.
Maedhros
May 2015
#231
If you're not trying to cut Social Security, privatize education or promote TPP, stop worrying.
Orsino
May 2015
#10
The Third Way boogeyman is out there and he turns pure progressive souls into
hrmjustin
May 2015
#12
I've never used it as an insult against a DU member, or against a politician. But there is history.
NYC_SKP
May 2015
#16
Excellent post you just made. Just look at all those attempts at rebranding.
woo me with science
May 2015
#24
This never occurred to me, I do know we have a lot of loud mouths who do little else
randys1
May 2015
#37
Ellison would still represent your district if you had never been born so how do you get to lord
TheKentuckian
May 2015
#127
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power is effectively controlled by the weathy
AgingAmerican
May 2015
#158
Many people use the term incorrectly, I prefer to use it the way the self described Third Way
Dragonfli
May 2015
#27
I haven't gotten to reading it yet, if I missed something you wrote, I apoligize
Dragonfli
May 2015
#41
In his defense it's just a label and that quote was from a long time ago...
DemocratSinceBirth
May 2015
#58
Yes in 2011 after the Koch money scandal became too difficult to manage I can't say I blame them. nt
Dragonfli
May 2015
#70
Third Wayer generally refers to one who promotes neoliberal economic policy. It has a definition.
Marr
May 2015
#45
Sadly, the way it gets slung around DU, it has lost all meaning beyond Nya nya nya....
Hekate
May 2015
#211
Wow! You just called most DUers, other than yourself, as living in an imaginary world.
Cleita
May 2015
#55
I see it used in times when the argument is not in favor of the accusing poster.
Thinkingabout
May 2015
#59
What some folks fail to realize is that Democrats are made up of a diverse group. Are blue dogs
still_one
May 2015
#62
Important: Your post misses the point, which is CORRUPTION of democracy.
woo me with science
May 2015
#68
What they stand for is the crux of why we decide to support them or not, or should be
Dragonfli
May 2015
#85
Unfortunately I have to agree, the younger generation, at least some of them,
Dragonfli
May 2015
#198
and within the same party, there is always an open communication link to persuade someone to your
still_one
May 2015
#107
Third Way = Corporatist Democrat, which accepts big corporations as the masters of society
AZ Progressive
May 2015
#76
BB posted the OP, and is as entitled to keep posing questions as anyone else. Meanwhile...
Hekate
May 2015
#212
Third Way = Believes that big corporations are our Lords and see capitalism as our religion
AZ Progressive
May 2015
#89
Based on Taibbi my reading of "third way" is that it's bat signal for crypto-libertarian
ucrdem
May 2015
#95
It's a generic slur, used by those who think the Democratic Party has been "taken over"
YoungDemCA
May 2015
#124
It's general shorthand for "corporatist Democrat" and is all too appropriately used. nt
Romulox
May 2015
#147
What's really depressing is that the corporate-crats have gotten nearly everything they've asked for
Romulox
May 2015
#159
Franken has emerged as an ardent defender of NSA spying. I don't get it either. nt
Romulox
May 2015
#164
Looks like elected progressives who support Hillary will get grief for it by some.
hrmjustin
May 2015
#167
My gratitude, BB. It's gotten to the point that I disregard anything a person says after "Third Way"
Hekate
May 2015
#173
I agree. I just assume third way threads are there to bash Hillary and her supporters.
hrmjustin
May 2015
#186
The problem with the "incremental change to pass more progressive laws" theory is
Maedhros
May 2015
#233
The dinos invented that term themselves to explain calling themselves democrats while
Doctor_J
May 2015
#219
LOL.. Senator Al Franken and Rep Keith Ellison were called the "Third Way"? No, not even surprised
Cha
May 2015
#224
The first time I came across the term "Third Way" was in a bio of Bill Clinton
Samantha
May 2015
#235