Alt-Right and Crtl-Left

 The current culture war between the woke members of the crtl-left and the conspiratorial nihilists of the alt-right is to a large extent a matter of social-media political dynamics colonizing our real-world institutions. (Globe and Mail, 21 August, 2021)

 Many years ago, with the rise of computer technology, I railed against one of the first computer words to cross over into the main stream: “interface”. Why not use “connection” or “communication” or “meeting”? I ranted. Even worse was the verb. “Let’s have management interface with the publicity department,” the MD might say. Since then, of course, technology has populated our language with many new words, or old words with new, often ungrammatical, meanings such as the verb "populate" itself. Sometimes, the blank computer screen will reassure us: the list is populating. “‘Populate’ is a transitive verb!” I shout.

In a fine article in the opinion section of Saturday’s Globe, Andrew Potter reflects on the interconnectedness of the various calamities facing us at the same time. (“The COVID-19 pandemic. Climate change. Culture wars. For the West, the party is over”) This article contains many powerful statements, including the one quoted above. I was struck by the political terms derived from the computer keyboard.

I was familiar with the alt right but had not come across the crtl left before. My ignorance! Google tells me that the term has been around for some years.

I wonder whether the computer keyboard offers further possibilities for political terms. In Canada it is usually the command  centre that holds the balance of power. One hopes that in the US the fn mods will prevail, but that will depend on the shift uncertains.