2024.08.01
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I'm not usually a big prescriptivist language wonk, but this is a great read about The MAGA Abuse of the English Language
Hint: as the article says, a coup is not when a "somewhat unpopular older president decides not to seek re-election and his successor is chosen through the legal, official formal rules of that candidate's political party"
Similar arguments then for the abuse of the "Marxist" as an epithet.
And the article has special love/hate for the "we're a republic not a democracy" guy - to switch it to my own pet peeve, those folks are as dumb and wrong as the "that's a SOUSAPHONE not a TUBA". (Akin to shouting "that's a convertible not a car" or as the article says "that's a BORDER COLLIE not a DOG")
With the USA being one of the Olympic heavy weight countries, I think we miss some of the charm of enjoying the amazing accomplishments EVERY damn Olympian represents - like folks from smaller places can more easily feel the joy.
Two intersting tables/charts:
Medal counts by country per capita
Medal counts by country per athlete sent
Is [LinkedIn] a terrible sign that we live in a capitalist hellscape? Hell yes! But we do live in a capitalist hellscape, and girl's gotta eat.