Definitions by q359
postmodernism
Postmodernism is a philosophy that holds that there are no such things as truth, facts, or objective reality, and such concepts are oppressive tools of the white male power structure. A common postmodernist refrain is "Perception is reality". Rather than there being an objective reality that everyone is perceiving through lenses that can and do contain distortions, postmodernism teaches that reality is different for every person, and there is no such thing as a false narrative. An old expression says that "There are three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the cold, hard truth". Postmodernism gets rid of that third side. Everybody's worldview, right down to the mentally disturbed person screaming on the subway about the end times, is equally valid. Young-earth creationists, flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, and Q-Anon cultists are taken seriously, and have followings, because of postmodernism. Before postmodernism, these people would have been roundly dismissed as idiots, and rational minds would set the record straight.
We went from there being three news channels that admittedly told a slanted narrative, to one where there are millions of "news sources" to choose from to fit your own personal narrative. And we went from one stifling, oppressive (usually religiously-driven) set of moral standards, to NO moral standards whatsoever, and complete moral relativism. Because no answers is better than one answer, and you must NEVER tell a person that they're wrong.
We went from there being three news channels that admittedly told a slanted narrative, to one where there are millions of "news sources" to choose from to fit your own personal narrative. And we went from one stifling, oppressive (usually religiously-driven) set of moral standards, to NO moral standards whatsoever, and complete moral relativism. Because no answers is better than one answer, and you must NEVER tell a person that they're wrong.
When I was a kid I was foolishly taught that the sky was blue, but now, thanks to postmodernism, I know that the sky is whatever color a person believes it to be.
postmodernism by q359 June 25, 2023
tankie
An apologist for dictatorial regimes with atrocious records on human rights, so long as those countries are not the US. A person who thinks that because the US is flawed, and has done bad things, that that means that countries that are or have traditionally been our adversaries (generally communist countries) are actually perfectly fine places to live, and everything bad that you hear about them is a Western lie. Someone who goes beyond just being a communist or socialist, into defending some truly awful regimes, a tankie throws out the baby with the bathwater.
John thinks Stalin was awesome, says China isn't oppressing the Uyghurs, and believes that everything bad you hear about North Korea is a lie that the American media wants you to believe. John is a tankie.
Libertarian
John is a libertarian. He has a ponytail, likes marijuana, and doesn't hate gay people, but otherwise, he is indistinguishable from a Republican.
Libertarian by q359 October 22, 2022
Libertarian
Larry Libertarian believes that workers have no rights, taxation is theft, racial discrimination should be legal, regulations that protect clean air and water should be rolled back, and everything else that a Republican believes...but he wants to legalize the marijuana, so all the 20-somethings think he's cool.
Libertarian by q359 March 5, 2017