Category: Politics
Post-truth
Word of the Day: Post-truth Oh boy, as 2024 draws to a close, I can’t help but sigh and think, “What is the world coming to?” Populism is on the rise, the Americans voted for Donald Trump AGAIN, the governments of both Germany and France have fallen, Korea is in a constitutional crisis because the…
Polarization
WotD: Polarization Have you ever noticed how sometimes people see things in entirely different ways? This difference in opinions or feelings is called polarization. In simple terms, polarization is the division of people into two distinct groups, often with opposing views or beliefs. Polarization can be seen in many areas of life. For instance, you…
Pundit
Word of the Day: Pundit The term pundit refers to an expert or commentator who offers opinions, analyses, and interpretations on various subjects, often in politics, sports, or culture. Derived from the Sanskrit word “pandit,” which means “learned one,” the modern usage of pundit has become synonymous with those who share insights through media platforms,…
Alternative facts
WotD: Alternative facts In today’s political landscape, the term alternative facts has become controversial, clearly depicting the ongoing struggle over truth and reality in public conversation. Introduced famously by a former US presidential advisor to Donald Trump (see below), alternative facts suggest that there can be multiple competing true facts about a single event or…
Hung parliament
WotD: Hung parliament It may have slipped your attention, with all the focus on the American presidential election on Tuesday, but Japan recently held a national election, which surprisingly resulted in a hung parliament. A hung parliament is a term that refers to a situation where no single political party secures an outright majority in…
Sanewashing
WotD: Sanewashing In today’s world, the term sanewashing has unfortunately emerged as a critical phrase in the conversation about American politics. Sanewashing or sane-washing is trying to minimize or reduce the radical aspects of a person or idea to make them appear more acceptable to a wider audience. I have grown tired of watching influential…
Pork barrel politics
WotD: Pork barrel politics People, Japanese and visitors to Japan, often ask me why I chose to live in the countryside, especially Wakayama. My answer is dependent on pork barrel politics. Pork barrel politics is government spending intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support. In the extreme, it’s politicians openly…
POTUS
Acronym of the Day: POTUS POTUS is an acronym for President of the United States. It’s an informal way to refer to the American President and is used by White House staff who talk about the President more often than regular people. It’s easier to refer to the President with this acronym than to say…
Landslide victory
English Idiom: Landslide victory It is Thursday, so I am back with yet another English idiom. I’m going to use another political analogy. I use many political situations to explain phrases because idioms are continuously used in the English-speaking world to explain what is happening in politics. Idioms are also regularly used in sports, and…
