The word "Thug"

[SHRED]

This appears to have emerged as a replacement for the 'N" word by the rightwing.

I am not fooled.

These Repub/CON/Bagger/RWnutz are hate-filled and spiteful souls aren't they?

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[DonViejo]

1. There's a lengthy discussion on this topic...

over here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024374024

Join in!

[Warpy]

2. That's their problem.

I apply the word to Republicans because that's who they are.

Just because other people misuse a word doesn't mean that it should be discarded.

[hlthe2b]

3. So is "thug" use verboten? I thought it meant 'criminal', but then...

I guess to the average racist RW, "criminal" equates specifically to non-whites...


I can probably count on two fingers, my use of the word "thug" in the past three decades, so I have no problem deleting it from the vocabulary, if so.....

I do, however, continue to refer to Republicans as RETHUGLICANS... Can't find a suitable alternative...

[NYC_SKP]

4. Curious, so did a Google image search for "Thug". Results suggest a more complex history.

Search results: https://www.google.com/search?q=thug&num=100&newwindow=1&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=shvjUqfHApLzoATBlYLIAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=878

Same search, filtering out the most recent 6 years: https://www.google.com/search?q=thug&newwindow=1&safe=off&biw=1600&bih=878&sa=X&ei=bxzjUoKiBYrjoAS-kYLABQ&ved=0CEUQpwUoAw&source=lnt&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F24%2F1995%2Ccd_max%3A1%2F24%2F2008&tbm=isch

Finally, just a search for "thug" and "etymology": https://www.google.com/search?num=100&newwindow=1&safe=off&biw=1600&bih=878&q=thug+etymology&oq=thug+etym&gs_l=serp.1.0.0.50881.51993.0.54797.5.4.0.1.1.0.109.342.3j1.4.0....0...1c.1.32.serp..0.5.344.sjTZX6a50eE

It's been in use for at least a couple hundred years, referring to, basically, gang members.

It looks very much from image results that musical artists, including Tupac, adopted the term and re-popularized it.

It makes sense, then, that they feel free to say "thug"; more free to use it than the other word because we've properly put a stop to that.

[TexasProgresive]

5. The way to fix this is to use thug

in reference to RW wackos. They are certainly members of a gang.

[NYC_SKP]

6. That's a fact. Corportate thugs have taken over congress.

You nailed it.