— Feature, Musings —02.06.2018 08:44 AM
Ten language commandments or compersonments: take your pick
So, about the little exchange captured below. Was it a dumb thing to say? Yes. Will conservatives treat it like a war crime for months to come, which is also dumb? Yes. Naturally.
So, ten things.
- Language changes all the time.
- Language changes because society changes.
- Language evolves as people evolve.
- Language changes because no two people experience stuff the same way.
- We changed the anthem last week to make it gender-neutral. No one died.
- But: society shouldn’t have changes in the lingo dictated to them by the powerful. Ask indigenous people about that.
- And: changes to the language shouldn’t be passed along in a patronizing, condescending way. And: MEN, STOP INTERRUPTING WOMEN!
- Also: don’t let language do your thinking for you. Ever, ever.
- N.B.: imposing arbitrary language changes tends to divide people, not unite them.
- His noster maximus anxietas, et bene facis. Which (I think) is Latin for: “If this is all we have to worry about, we’re doing okay.”
Watch Justin Trudeau Correct a Woman To Say ‘Peoplekind’ Instead of ‘Mankind’ https://t.co/FbFn2x3p5m pic.twitter.com/xLbjSTmwNL
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 6, 2018
It occurs to me, Warren, that perhaps T2 is so laser-focused on women voters that he risks seriously eroding his support among men. Virtue signalling nonsense like this doesn’t help.
10. His noster maximus anxietas, et bene facis. Which (I think) is Latin for: “If this is all we have to worry about, we’re doing okay.”
Oh, there’s plenty of other thing to worry about. Trudeau just chooses to focus on this kind of vapid, meaningless, empty headed, virtue signalling bullshit.
Gee, what about the “man” in “woman”?
Trudeau appears to be becoming more and more messianic every day.
This won’t do, either.
Surely comperoffspringdments must be used instead.
When Justin says “we like to say ‘peoplekind’, not necessarily mankind”, do you think he’s referring to the voices in his head? Because, who the fuck is ‘we’? And what saddens me is that you Warren, have to spin this into something that we (the Other We also known as ‘the great unwashed’), can actually understand and then walk away from, satisfied that this all made sense.
It saddens me that you are so partisan you didn’t see me, in the first fucking sentence, call what he said “dumb.”
Don’t be an ass. That plainspeak enough?
Wouldn’t the “inclusive” alternative to mankind be humankind, or humanity? I don’t recall ever hearing of the word “peoplekind” before Trudeau’s latest bozo eruption (hell, it’s even being flagged by your site’s spell check).
No go. Human contains the word “man”.
Hu-people-kind.
We live in a country where meanness is a greater political sin than simple-mindedness. Between peoplekind, returning ISIS combatants being good old immigrants and the veterans demanding too much, it’s almost if the Liberals are daring the Conservatives to run a five minute attack ad based on these town hall appearances. This of course would be followed by a 5-part series on the National, investigating whether Canadian politics has gotten too mean. Then smile, selfie, yoga pose and four more years.
We get it Justin, you’re a feminist…
Kinda ironic for him to mansplain this to the woman though.
It’s interesting because whenever Im chatting politics with female friends about politics, when we chat about Trudeau its one thing, but what seems to be a common trend is almost all of my women friends find whenever he says anything about feminism or proclaiming to be a feminist, they just find it really cringy and eye rolling. As one friend put it best “he acts as if all women were barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen before 2015,” This friend is generally a liberal voter too, but shes and many others are finding it way too much
Matt,
At least it’s not on a tattoo.
How about we use ‘Humanity’ and leave behind
mankind/womankind/peoplekind/beingkind/humankind etc .
To mix metaphors,jumping through hoops to avoid touchy-feely landmines is a terrible way to tippy-toe through life,
and it is boring.
How many voters do you think this is going push away from Trudeau? Zero.
How much coverage do you expect this to get on the news tonight? Zero.
The people you’d expect to be chaffed by this remark didn’t need much of an excuse to be offended by something Trudeau said, especially something that is admittedly a big reach even for political correctness.
This mountain out of ant-hill material.
Sure. But I’m always amused by comments about how something doesn’t matter, but it matters enough to apparently comment about it.
I know a couple people who work in Liberal MP’s offices.
Crap like this, more specifically Trudeau’s recent comment about “some” Canadian veterans are “wanting more than Canada can give right now” have a lot of Liberal MP’s worried they’re going to lose a good number of votes in 2019.
I guess my comment is more on the commentary.
An observation on the reaction more than one itself.
On it’s own it doesn’t matter……yet. Added to others……maybe.
Ok, this is try no. 3 with a different CAPTCHA to post here. Once more and I give up.l
Its the cuts Charlie.
The elbow and anger on the House floor over a vote taking too long.
The childish display at the Tim Hortons when reporters insisted on asking Bill Morneau questions.
Shouting down the protestor last week and sounding like Donald Trump.
Telling the vet that this current govt is fighting veterans because “there just isn’t the money”
And, the latest, interrupting a very nice young woman to rudely introduce a new word to our language in an attempt to sound hip and cool.
How much coverage? Check out Canada’s biggest news aggregate, National Newswatch, you’ll see the UK Daily News and an Op Ed piece calling our PM ” a spineless virtue signaling excuse of a feminist” who “has his picture taken with his shirt off too often for it to be an accident”.
But, probably nothing.
I swear, there’s something wrong with Mr Trudeau, maybe its the pressure, the fatigue, or maybe he’s starting to understand that this job is too hard for him, but, he ain’t the same guy he was 18 months ago.
A staggering amount of conjecture in your comment, Bill.
You’re seeing what you want to see. Which is kind of what I was saying in my original post.
I can only see what CBC and CTV reports Charlie and after that I’m like everyone else, I make my own conclusions.
Charlie,
Sometimes corrosion is applied in a series of subtle doses. It reinforces the narrative that this Prime Minister goes out of his way to be too cute by half. Maybe it sticks — on the margins, and maybe it doesn’t.
Charlie, this just another example of why some people continue to wonder whether Justin Trudeau is playing the role (i.e. acting) of PM as contrasted with being the PM. When he wanders off script he often finds himself in trouble.
Curiously, what a real PM look like?
Unless one’s perception of a PM is a man/woman sitting behind a desk from 9 – 5, what part of Trudeau’s behaviour can be described as acting like a PM as opposed to being a PM?
Is there a widely held consensus as to what a Prime Minister should be doing on a daily basis; a set of standards that Trudeau is unequivocally failing to meet?
I know I’m banned but at least you will read this Warren –
Orwell was right…
Words do matter. A lot sometimes.
Distinct Society
Pro-life vs Anti-abortion
Indigenous means native to and those whom you refer to as indigenous are not – they came from Asia and they weren’t the first ones to North America – other asian tribes long since extinct were. They are Pre-Columbian. And as you know to admit my argument opens up a whole can of worms.
and on and on.
Trudeau’s dumb progressive / virtue signalling attempt is symptomatic of the broader effort to destabilize our culture and laws so that he who writes the laws unimpaired by what laws and precedents preceded them truly becomes a tyrant.
It matters…
Gord,
Don’t often agree with you but am glad to get another viewpoint.
I can’t always be right! (Just joking.)
Lots of fun on twitter over “peoplekind”. Another one; Preston and his clan are now peopleing, and the northern Alberta town Is now peopling.
Okay let’s forget about the non-word, whether this is something to worry about, the interruption, etc etc..
When you strip that all away, there is only once logical conclusion:
The guy is a dumbass, period, end of story, full stop.
He doesn’t have the intellect to be in the position he’s in. He got in because of his name, nothing more.
We elected a vacuous hairdo.
Sam,
The proof will be in the pudding. If Trudeau’s government is re-elected, that will speak more volumes than anything else.
It will, agreed. It will also shatter my faith in the electorate even more should this vacuous imbecile get another mandate, which is what I fear may happen.
It is pretty clear that Gerald is running the show to date, and Trudeau’s role seems largely ceremonial.
2 years ago I made two predictions, that at the end of his mandate the nation would be entering into crippling debt and the nation would be more divided. It appears I could have cut that prediction time in half.
I also wonder if Trudeau is being too clever for himself. Playing the politically correct card riles up the conservative base so he is probably hoping someone will saying something bigoted and then it will be between the tolerant Liberals and intolerant Conservatives. So yes it sounds stupid and he may even by pushing the envelope too far, but I also think it could be a deliberate tactic to try and bait the Conservatives and it just might work. If Tories are smart they would just ignore this as the types who are most outraged by political correctness are already voting Conservative anyways. Amongst the middle of the road swing voters, they may not care for Trudeau’s strong political correctness, but its not something that angers them so much they will change their votes. It will be attacks on specific policies or lack of where the Tories (and the NDP too) have potential to gain votes.
Conservatism is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.
But how damn condescending of Dear Leader, our own Dauphin, that he should insult the young “woman” for her most proper choice of words.The man is a despicable cretin. Unfit for the job and an embarrassment to this country. The world has noticed this and is reacting in astonishment. Look, Harper’s best before date was passed and you may not have liked him, but you have to admit, he didn’t embarrass us and he deeply loved this country. Dear Leader just loves himself, and China’s basic dictatorship.
Trump can get away with saying anything down south. Canadians especially the Ottawa media, sure don’t cut Trudeau much slack when he makes a flub like this.
I don’t get it.
Trump says things dumber then this every fifth sentence.
They passed over this time he claimed he won the Presidency on his first try (he ran for president under the Reform Party in 2000) because it was surrounded by an insane defence of his sanity.
You don’t watch CNN or MSNBC or CBS or ABC do you?
Trudeau’s culturally appropriated haida gwaii tattoo is for other virtue signalling purposes.
this is odd but small potatoes to me..bigger deal at parliament hill is secrecy surrounding sexual harassment investigation of senior liberal official who resigned/fired…were other applicants/employees treated similarly , what about his years in other politicians offices …do we not owe it to possible other victims to get to bottom of what was going on.
two person committee making ruling …not complete or transparent
Everyone on the Liberal side of things seems to be acting like the changes to the wording of our national anthem are no big deal.
They’re wrong.
Remember when the previous Conservative government first floated the idea of changing the lyrics of Oh Canada? Remember the immediate public condemnation? Turns out that a solid 70% of Canadians DID NOT WANT the anthem changed; the Conservatives quickly backed down.
Now fast forward to 2017, and another proposal to change the aforementioned lyrics…only this time, it is because the Liberal MP proposing it is dying (like that should have anything to do with the creation of new policies/laws in Canada?). Once again, a poll is taken…and once again, 70% of the public DOESN’T WANT IT CHANGED.
The difference this time? Justin Trudeau apparently doesn’t give a shit what you want as long as he gets to virtue signal and boast about what a good feminist he is. He’s changing those lyrics anyway, public opinion be damned!
Expect this issue to be raised at the next election, Liberals. The changes of a few words are not the issue…Liberal arrogance is.
Changing the words “all thy sons command” has been around a lot longer then Mr Trudeau. What bugs me about my fellow Conservatives is why are some of us so afraid of change?
Mankind means humans, “sons” is meant to mean young men.
As a Conservative what you see as Liberal arrogance I see as a main reason they keep winning elections and, cant for the life of me understand why we push back so much.
billg,
AMEN. This reminds me of all hell breaking loose at even the mere prospect of a Mountie in a turban. Fast forward to today, and it doesn’t even raise an eyebrow.
I don’t think that Plett will get his referendum.
Who is afraid of change?
This is about public opinion, and Justin Trudeau’s blatant contempt for it when it conflicts with his personal agenda.
Regarding the anthem, I was one of the 70% that thought it should just be left alone, but it is also not a hill to die on. It’s done now, let it go and the fallout will be what it will be.
I am curious though, will professional lip readers be hired to carefully watch our Olympic athletes use the correct words? Given the $$ spent on some ministers twitter accounts it would not surprise me.
At least if Andrew Scheer had said “peoplekind”, everyone would have known he was joking…