A Monarch Butterfly exiting its chrysalis. Due to deforestation its winter grounds in Mexico are being destroyed and this iconic insect is now endangered. I've collected hundreds of the worms from roadside milkweeds before the local municipalities made the effort to cut them down with their massive bush hogs. I gave them fresh milkweeds on a daily basis and watched them mature and go through the metamorphic process. One of the true wonders of nature. Something my mother taught me as a child in the meadows of Southern Ontario.
Thanks for sharing this account, Donald. Your mother was a wise and knowledgeable woman. I hope you're able to pass on much of what she taught you to others. So much of our natural world is disappearing and anything we can do to try and preserve it where we are is a help.
I was looking for an image that represented a transformation as contrast to the point of my piece. A butterfly is actually a new creation from its old form as it exits, whereas many of the terms I hear, some of which I discuss in the piece aren't that at all. Just a recycling and relabeling of old ideas. In short, what's called neo seems decidedly more retro.
I think "neo-liberal" is different from those other two. It strikes me as a name that acknowledges the semantic drift from the original meaning you mentioned to the second meaning you mentioned (so that now using the original term to identify free-market supporters would be confusing). If anything, it's mostly used as a pejorative by their political opponents, even with what I feel is an attempt for the "neo" prefix to connote some relation to neo-nazis (i.e. the prefix itself is now negatively polarized).
Yuval, you raise a fair point. However, I have seen neo-liberal used by supporters and detractors alike. Why not refer to this stance as classic liberal economist, or just free-market capitalist? The first term shows your observance of the original concept, while alerting readers or listeners to the definition shift and giving the opportunity to expound on it further. The second term is more widely used and probably better grasped. To label something neo, when it is more retro, just doesn't seem right to me. As for "neo" mostly having negative connotations, my personal experience doesn't seem to echo this but it is possible.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post. If you enjoyed, found it thoughtful, or engagingly enraging, please consider a subscription and perusal of my other work. Shares are also appreciated.
A Monarch Butterfly exiting its chrysalis. Due to deforestation its winter grounds in Mexico are being destroyed and this iconic insect is now endangered. I've collected hundreds of the worms from roadside milkweeds before the local municipalities made the effort to cut them down with their massive bush hogs. I gave them fresh milkweeds on a daily basis and watched them mature and go through the metamorphic process. One of the true wonders of nature. Something my mother taught me as a child in the meadows of Southern Ontario.
Thanks for sharing this account, Donald. Your mother was a wise and knowledgeable woman. I hope you're able to pass on much of what she taught you to others. So much of our natural world is disappearing and anything we can do to try and preserve it where we are is a help.
I was looking for an image that represented a transformation as contrast to the point of my piece. A butterfly is actually a new creation from its old form as it exits, whereas many of the terms I hear, some of which I discuss in the piece aren't that at all. Just a recycling and relabeling of old ideas. In short, what's called neo seems decidedly more retro.
C.--Well said.
Thanks for stopping by and giving this piece a look. Much appreciated.
I think "neo-liberal" is different from those other two. It strikes me as a name that acknowledges the semantic drift from the original meaning you mentioned to the second meaning you mentioned (so that now using the original term to identify free-market supporters would be confusing). If anything, it's mostly used as a pejorative by their political opponents, even with what I feel is an attempt for the "neo" prefix to connote some relation to neo-nazis (i.e. the prefix itself is now negatively polarized).
Yuval, you raise a fair point. However, I have seen neo-liberal used by supporters and detractors alike. Why not refer to this stance as classic liberal economist, or just free-market capitalist? The first term shows your observance of the original concept, while alerting readers or listeners to the definition shift and giving the opportunity to expound on it further. The second term is more widely used and probably better grasped. To label something neo, when it is more retro, just doesn't seem right to me. As for "neo" mostly having negative connotations, my personal experience doesn't seem to echo this but it is possible.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post. If you enjoyed, found it thoughtful, or engagingly enraging, please consider a subscription and perusal of my other work. Shares are also appreciated.