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This article is a list of pejorative political slogans. 

==Common features of pejorative political slogans==

Many pejorative political slogans are obtained by joining an otherwise neutral description of a political movement or group with a pejorative term questioning the groups's sanity or motives, or associating the group with hated political movements of the past such as [[Nazi]]s or [[Communism|Communists]].  Arguments about the use of these slogans often follow a pattern in which proponents of the slogans insist that the term is intended to be construed so narrowly as to be inoffensive while opponents insist that the term as heard by a typical listener will be construed more broadly.  Examples of such arguments are visible in the sections below, but a general pattern may include, for proponents:
*The claim that a term (e.g., ''feminazi'') is not intended to apply to all members of the group ("feminists"), but only those who exhibit some of the attributes suggested by the pejorative part of the term ("Nazis").
*The claim that the pejorative part of the term is intended to be construed narrowly (e.g., ''Nazi'' as short-hand for anybody who shows contempt for individual rights or the democratic process) rather than with its full horrifying connotations (e.g., ''Nazi'' as short-hand for somebody who would like to shove children into ovens).
For opponents, the countervailing claim is that whatever the stated intent of the users of the term, combining a term identifying a group with a pejorative necessarily creates an association between the group and the pejorative, leading many listeners to assume that all members of the group have all of the attributes suggested by the pejorative.  This claim is arguably based on a naïve [[associationism|associationistic]] view of human cognition that underestimates a typical listener's reasoning abilities.  However, opponents of many pejorative slogans will argue that such naïve associationism is the basis of many standard techniques in [[public relations]], and that the use of a pejorative slogan by persons trained in public relations techniques is reasonbly interpreted as an attempt to create such an association while maintaining deniability: a subtle example of the [[fallacy]] of [[equivocation]].

Regardless of the intent of the author, the possibility that pejorative political slogans will be construed broadly than expected creates the danger of alienating a large part of ones one's audience.  Thus, except in cases where the slogan is being used a [[shibboleth]] to closely identify the author with a particular political movement, a wise writer or speaker will generally adopt more neutral terminology.
Conversely, in classical [[rhetoric]], the [[principle of charity]] demands that when making an argument one assumes the most generous interpretation of one's opponent's statements, so that one's own argument is not derailed by simply claiming that the opponent's statements were misconstrued.  This principle suggests that the most principled response to another's use of pejorative slogans is to ignore them, accepting at face value the user's claim to a narrow interpretation while again adopting more neutral terminology in one's own arguments.
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==Environmentalist wacko==
"''Environmentalist wacko''" is a phrase that right-wing talk show host [[Rush Limbaugh]] uses to describe what he considers to be extremely [[radical environmentalism|radical environmentalists]]; he does not use it to describe people who ''merely'' care about the environment.

According to Limbaugh, some "environmentalist wackos" reject all forms of higher technology (electrical, mechanical, medicine, etc) and want the [[United States]] to abolish the automobile, stop using oil and gas, and revert to an agrarian society.  Members of [[Earth First]] or the [[Earth Liberation Front]] would be an example of those he might characterize "environmentalist wackos", since they participate in what many define as [[terrorist]] acts against corporations they perceive as unfriendly to the earth. 

However, he extends the use of the term to describe a much broader segment of the environmentalist movment; thus, other environmentalist policies and principles he attributes to "environmentalist wackos" include: ignoring economic consequences of environmental laws; ignoring or avoiding any cost/benefit analysis regarding environmental policies; placing an equal or higher value on animal life than on human life; suggestions that animals are "just as intelligent" as humans; relying on lawsuits and laws to solve environmental problems, rather than relying on the marketplace.  Thus, by many definitions, he would characterize the vast majority of environmentalists as "wackos".  He also often accuses "environmentalist wackos" of using environmentalism as an excuse for the government to gain more property and more control over our lives.

Limbaugh presents news stories with opinions which are unfavorable to theories and beliefs that those he characterizes as "environmentalist wackos" presumably hold.

== Islamofascism ==

Some people think that the term "Islamofascism" is used as a one-word slogan implying that Islam or Islamic culture has much in common with Fascism. But this is not correct. The term ''Islamofascists'' refers solely to those who claim to be Muslims but are considered by their opponents as [[fascism|fascists]] with Islamic background. Nevertheless severalmany Muslims find the term insulting, as it suggests a link between Islam and Fascism.

The term is especially applied to Muslim groups (like [[GIA]], [[Hamas]], [[Abu Sayaf]], [[Al Qaida]], [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad|Islamic Jihad]], [[Hezbollah]]) that promote [[theocracy]] and oppose [[democracy]], in distinction to Muslims who see no contradiction between Islam and Western-style modernism.

Some writers use the term "Islamofascism" specifically to refer to [[Wahhabism]] and similar movements in Sunni Islam, while others use it to refer to all highly politicized strains of Islam, including Shiite fundamentalism as practised in Iran. However, Islamofascism is not a widely accepted term due to its imprecise, "loaded", propaganda-minded nature. A more common and less loaded term for these politicized strains of Islam, which seek to replace secular governments in Muslim countries with Islamic law, is [[Islamist]].

== Judeofascism and Zionazism ==

''Judeofascism'' and ''Zionazism'' are terms used by advocates of the view that aspects of [[Judaism]], [[Zionism]] or Israeli government policy are fascist or similar to behavior thought typical of Nazis. Sometimes the target of the terms is a philosophy that only Jews should have political rights in Israel, or that Israel should be governed by the principles of Jewish law rather than Western democratic principles.  Much more commonly, the terms are used by opponents of Israeli behavior towards the Palestinians.  In most cases, the user of the terms intends them to be offensive for the rhetorical effect this creates.

Also see [[Godwin's law]].

==Tory and Whig==

Originally a Tory was a supporter of [[James II]] of [[England]], the king who was ousted when he tried to reintroduce Roman Catholicism into England.   The name was given them by their opponents, the Whigs; the supporters of [[William and Mary]].   Tory is derived from thwe Irish word, "toraidhe" meaning an outlaw or rebel, specifically a Roman Catholic who preyed on the Protestant Settlers.   The name stuck to the conservative side of British politics even beyond the formation of the British Conservative Party in [[1830]].
Tory was also used in USA to describe the loyalists during the [[American Revolution]].

The term Whig was originally used to mean a Scottish Presbyterian, particularly a Covenanter in rebellion against the Crown.   The origin of the word is obscure but it may refer to a group of seventeenth century Scottish rebels whose attack on Edinburgh is called the Whiggamore Raid.    Alternatively "whigmaleerie" is an old Scottish word meaning a silly idea.

==Wowser==

A New Zealand term, almost obsolete.  Originally it meant an Abolitionist, alcohol not slavery.  It also came to mean a killjoy, someone whose opposition to alcohol extended to all social jollity.


== External links ==

* [http://www.dki.antifa.net/inipa/islamofascism.html An Antifascist dissident in Berlin discusses: Is there such a thing as Islamofascism?]