• Caboose12000@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Language is descriptive, not prescriptive. Word meanings can change over time, the only thing that makes a word’s definition “correct” is if it successfully communicates information.

    I’m not saying that to castigate you but to make your point bullet proof.

    I actually agree with your definition, but arguing that a word’s definition is wrong simply because “thats not how it’s defined” ignores the way that real people actually use words today

    • undergroundoverground@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Language is descriptive, not prescriptive. Word >meanings can change over time

      While true, actually, it doesn’t mean “words can mean whatever the hell i want them to whenever I feel like it.” As crazy as it might seems, its actually not the same thing.

      It does successfully communicate information. That much is the. Unfortunately though, it communicates that certain people choose antisemitism over accurately describing the thing they’re talking about. If that’s what they want to communicate, then yes, it was successfully communicated. If that wasn’t the intention, it fails the condition you listed.

      • Dasus@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        While true, actually, it doesn’t mean “words can mean whatever the hell i want them to whenever I feel like it.” As crazy as it might seems, its actually not the same thing.

        And who tried that?

        We’re not talking about whether “rizz” is acceptable to use instead of “charisma”, (which would also constitute common usage), but something that’s been going on for more than 80 years.

        Using “nazi” as a generalised term for fascists.

        It’s accurate. It’s very accurate. Because what the Israeli are doing to Palestinians is very related to what the Nazis (notice the capital N) did to Jews during the Holocaust.

        #neveragain

        Israeli government are nazis. Pure and simple. You can keep crying over what you feel is an offensive and “inaccurate” term. Unfortunately for you it’s common usage no matter how badly you want to be blissfully ignorant of Israeli atrocities.

        https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Nazi

        disapproving : an evil person who wants to use power to control and harm other people especially because of their race, religion, etc.

        That’s literally the common use. Argue that away with your asinine examples, go ahead, I’ll wait.

        • undergroundoverground@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          And who tried that?

          You, just now. Try and keep up.

          No, nazi, even by the definition you provided, is an evil person colloquially.

          The israeli government are facsists and pretending anyone could cry over your ignorance is pathetic, even by your standards. Just so you know, your mask slips when you have to pretend I want ignorant of the evil things the Israeli government is doing. Its just empty rhetoric designed to silence people who disagree with you, as you haven’t got a leg to stand on.

          However, as were on the subject of definitions, why are you so married to calling Jewish people a term that falls under the EHRC definition of antisemitism?

          Let me guess, suddenly you don’t care for the definition of words anymore? Go ahead, attempt to argue that away with your baseless, asinine declarations about the use of capital letters. Please do, its hilarious.

          Literally, its like listening to white guys claiming it wasn’t racist, as they didn’t use a hard “R.”

          “But how hard was the capitalisation?” 😂

          • Dasus@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            You, just now.

            Oh by calling Israeli government nazis I’m am right now deciding that a specific word has a specific meaning. I AM doing that. Right now? Not something that has been sculpted by the use of billions of speakers for decades and decades? Something which might have been, idk, so common that it’s been recorded as a secondary meaning for the word “nazi” for longer than you’ve been alive…?

            Because every single dictionary I can find has that a secondary meaning.

            https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Nazi#Noun

            One who subscribes to or advocates (neo-)Nazism, or a similarly fascist, racist, anti-Semitic, xenophobic, ethnic supremacist, or ultranationalist ideology; a neo-Nazi.

            https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Nazi

            disapproving : an evil person who wants to use power to control and harm other people especially because of their race, religion, etc.

            https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/nazi_2

            a person who uses their power in a cruel way; a person with extreme and unreasonable views (especially racist)

            Or are you going to argue that Netanyahu and his ilk aren’t being “especially hateful” towards Palestinians? Because the ICC disagrees.

            https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state

            Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant

            On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defence of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023:

            Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Statute; Wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health contrary to article 8(2)(a)(iii), or cruel treatment as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)©(i); Wilful killing contrary to article 8(2)(a)(i), or Murder as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)©(i); Intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime contrary to articles 8(2)(b)(i), or 8(2)(e)(i); Extermination and/or murder contrary to articles 7(1)(b) and 7(1)(a), including in the context of deaths caused by starvation, as a crime against humanity; Persecution as a crime against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(h); Other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(k).

            You don’t care for the definitions of words. You just ignore whatever doesn’t suite you. Like the fact that it is in fact accurate and within common use of language to say that Netanyahu is a nazi. All the definitions agree, all the evidence agrees, everything agrees with me and all you have is pathetic strawmen like “that’s like white people trying to justify using the r-word. calling ANY jew EVER a nazi in any form is wide-scale antisemitism!”

            Oh so it would be antisemitic of me to call these people nazis? They’re not antisemites for the virtue of having Jewish descent, but I’m an antisemite for calling them nazis, despite what they are? What are you, 12, honestly? I genuinely like long conversations online but the quality on your comments is just absolute garbage.

            • undergroundoverground@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              Again, the fact that secondary meanings for words exist doesn’t make you right to call Jewish people nazis. It is an antisemitic thing to do. That doesn’t mean that you are or aren’t that but the action itself.

              Why are you so married to calling Jewish people a term that will ensure that anyone outside of cliques like this will automatically dismiss anything else you have to say?

              I’m not so keen on them myself. I’m just fascinated to what someone attempt and fail spectacularly to justify calling Jewish people nazis. I mean, if you are using in the way that people would call someone a grammar nazi or just generally nasty, why do you have to use that specific word and not any of the others that would work just as well.

              It jut doesn’t add up does it?

              • Dasus@lemmy.world
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                3 months ago

                You’re the only one who who’s talking about the Jewish people.

                We’re calling Israelis nazis, because nazi is a synonym for a fascist, and the holocaust going on in Palestine is definitely one fascist clusterfuck and worse than a lot of things rhe actual historical Nazis did.

                Netanyahu and his friends are worse than a lot of actual, literal, Nazi party members.

                https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state

                On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defence of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023:

                Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Statute; Wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health contrary to article 8(2)(a)(iii), or cruel treatment as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)©(i); Wilful killing contrary to article 8(2)(a)(i), or Murder as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)©(i); Intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime contrary to articles 8(2)(b)(i), or 8(2)(e)(i); Extermination and/or murder contrary to articles 7(1)(b) and 7(1)(a), including in the context of deaths caused by starvation, as a crime against humanity; Persecution as a crime against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(h); Other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(k).

                We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population pursuant to State policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day.

                My Office submits that the evidence we have collected, including interviews with survivors and eyewitnesses, authenticated video, photo and audio material, satellite imagery and statements from the alleged perpetrator group, shows that Israel has intentionally and systematically deprived the civilian population in all parts of Gaza of objects indispensable to human survival.

                “Fail spectacularly”? Like someone who gets downvoted to shit and who has several people replying to him how he’s wrong and I’m right and that you don’t understand the very basics of linguistics and that the “arguments” they’re making are asinine as hell, such as “using colloquial language to describe the fascist actions of Israel is 100% antisemitic” ? That kind of a spectacular fail…? ;>

                No-one else is saying “the Jewish people”. We’re calling Israeli soldiers and their leaders nazis. Because it’s linguistically correct.

                • undergroundoverground@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  Its an antisemitic action. If you don’t intend on doing antisemitic things, do something else. It doesn’t mean that genocide isn’t happening in Palestine. It doesn’t mean that words don’t have secondary meanings either.

                  I’m ok for ad. populums but thanks all the same. Its a very sad reflection on you that you would think it would bother someone.

                  If I didn’t understand "the very basis of linguistics, why would you write to me? Come on now. Think before you talk.

                  Again, why do you HAVE to use that one word. Why can’t it be replaced by fascist, genocidal facsist or whatever? Why do you refuse to back down over using the one word that makes people dismiss what people say about Palestine?

                  Its almost as if you care more for calling Jewish people nazis than you do raising awareness of the genocide going on in gaza.

                  • Dasus@lemmy.world
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                    3 months ago

                    It’s not action, it’s expression.

                    If I didn’t understand "the very basis of linguistics, why would you write to me? Come on now. Think before you talk.

                    Hahahahahhahahaha. I can’t believe you wrote that. This is THE most hilarious and ironic thing I’ve read in weeks. Your understanding of linguistics is so bad, that you’re using it in place of “language”, thinking they are synonyms, which they are NOT. That is. BRILLIANT. Fking saved. :D Thank you.

                    Again, what’s with the obsession to make this about Judaism? Why do you constantly try to shift discussion from Israel to Jewish people in general? Why?

                    If one chooses on purpose to call Israelis Nazis, perhaps it’s because it’s extremely ironic the #neveragain people are committing a holocaust themselves. Since you accept that Israel is genociding Palestinians, do you not find it ironic?

                    So here are the facts: Israel is doing heinous fascist shit. “Nazi” is a synonym for fascist.

                    You don’t disagree with the first fact. You don’t disagree with the second fact. But you’re still not ready to accept, even in part, that you didn’t understand what “prescriptive” and “descriptive” meant before this thread and now you’re DESPERATELY trying to save your spectacular fail, by trying somehow to ignore your own errors.