Response to “We are fighting ‘two pandemics’ Covid-19 and stupidity” meme

I believe the “we” have always been fighting stupidity just as the “they” have always been fighting it too, just a different sort or from a different angle. I saw a headline today about “left-leaning groups” lobbying Biden over the defense budget. When writing and reporting for possibly millions of eyeballs, why don’t we use true descriptive words — like progressive, or ethical, or peaceful, or socially just, or traditional, change-averse, anti-innovation, religious, whatever — when we refer to groups or people associated with certain values, rather than generalizing by saying they are “left” and “right?” Is it because we have lazily allowed ourselves (and the media) to assume that everyone knows what left and right means (“good” and “bad” probably mostly), depending on what side you’re on? Rhetoric. Semantics. Language. La Langue. They are more powerful forces than most realize and we need to deploy them specifically and with great care and attention.  ~ cjzurcher