Definitions by Abzugal
Westology
The study of the Western world using the analytic frameworks developed for Sovietology and Kremlinology: treating Western institutions as systems to be decoded from the outside, attentive to propaganda, elite networks, and the gap between official ideology (democracy, freedom) and actual practice (lobbying, surveillance, military intervention). Westology rejects the assumption that Western societies are inherently transparent or self‑explanatory. Instead, it reads between the lines of press releases, tracks think tank connections, and analyzes how power operates through seemingly neutral institutions. It’s a critical lens that turns the tools of Cold War area studies back on the West itself.
Example: “Her Westology of NATO examined how public statements about ‘defense’ masked internal negotiations over arms sales and geopolitical influence—Kremlinology for Brussels.”
Parliamentology
The study of parliaments using the same methods employed by Sovietologists during the Cold War—analyzing institutional rituals, power hierarchies, unwritten rules, factional dynamics, and the gap between official procedure and actual practice. Where Sovietology decoded the Kremlin’s opaque politics, parliamentology decodes legislative bodies: reading committee assignments as signals, tracking patronage networks, interpreting procedural maneuvers as power plays. It treats parliaments not as transparent arenas of debate but as closed systems where formal rules mask informal control. Parliamentology reveals that even “democratic” legislatures operate with their own internal Kremlin-like logics of deference, discipline, and hidden influence.
Example: “His parliamentology of the UK House of Commons analyzed how the seemingly chaotic ‘hear, hear’ chants actually served as a whip‑signaling system—Sovietology for Westminster.”
Parliamentology by Abzugal April 2, 2026
Marketpost
A goalpost‑moving tactic that demands the target present a complete, flawless alternative economic system before any critique of the current one can be taken seriously. If the target proposes a reform, the perpetrator demands to know the precise market impacts. If they provide evidence, the perpetrator claims the model doesn’t account for “unforeseen consequences.” The demand escalates until the target is either exhausted or forced into an infinite regress of hypotheticals. Marketpost is a way to paralyze economic debate by demanding impossible levels of certainty.
Example: “She proposed a modest tax on financial transactions. He demanded a full simulation of secondary market effects, then asked for counterfactual projections for every possible market condition. Marketpost: demanding perfect foresight before any change can be discussed.”
Marketpost by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Marketlighting
A digitallighting tactic that uses economic jargon and appeals to “market reality” to make a target feel naive, idealistic, or foolish for questioning economic conditions. The perpetrator may claim the target simply doesn’t understand “how the economy works” and that any critique is evidence of inexperience. The goal is to erode the target’s confidence in their own economic reasoning, positioning the speaker as the hard‑nosed realist.
Example: “She suggested that raising the minimum wage would reduce poverty; he said she didn’t understand ‘price elasticity’ or ‘job destruction.’ Marketlighting: using economic theory to make the target doubt simple moral truths.”
Marketlighting by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Marketsplaining
A form of gaslighting that invokes “markets,” “the economy,” “wage slavery,” or “hyperslavery” to dismiss critiques of economic exploitation. The perpetrator explains why low wages, precarious work, or inequality are “just how markets work” and frames any call for change as economically illiterate. Marketsplaining often presents a particular economic system as natural, inevitable, or the only possible arrangement—ignoring that markets are socially constructed institutions subject to political choice.
Example: “She pointed out that many workers can’t afford rent despite full‑time jobs. He replied ‘that’s supply and demand—you can’t fight economics.’ Marketsplaining: using the concept of markets to naturalize exploitation.”
Marketsplaining by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Bankpost
A goalpost‑moving tactic that demands the target demonstrate mastery of arcane financial or banking concepts before their economic views can be considered. The perpetrator insists that without a deep understanding of fractional reserve banking, monetary transmission mechanisms, or Basel accords, the target’s opinion is worthless. When the target does research and engages, the standard shifts to “real world experience” or “executive decision‑making.” Bankpost is a way to gatekeep economic debate behind specialized knowledge that most people cannot easily acquire.
Banklighting
A digitallighting tactic that uses financial jargon and the threat of financial consequences to disorient and intimidate a target. The perpetrator may flood the conversation with references to credit scores, interest rates, or banking regulations, suggesting the target doesn’t understand “how money works.” The goal is to make the target feel economically illiterate and therefore unqualified to speak on economic issues. Banklighting is a form of class‑based gaslighting that leverages the intimidation of financial expertise.
Example: “When she mentioned high bank fees, he launched into a lecture about ‘interchange rates’ and ‘regulatory costs,’ implying her complaint was naive. Banklighting: using financial complexity to dismiss legitimate criticism.”
Banklighting by Abzugal April 1, 2026