Germans vote "distressed banks" as the bad word of the year 2008
The German bad word of the year 2008 is "distressed banks". The jury justified its choice by saying that the phrase completely turns the relationship between the causes and consequences of the global economic crisis on its head. 2117 entries from Germany and abroad took part in the competition.
The German bad word of the year 2008 is "distressed banks". The jury justified its choice by saying that the phrase completely turns the relationship between the causes and consequences of the global economic crisis on its head. 2117 entries from Germany and abroad took part in the competition.
"While the national economies are in dire straits and taxpayers have to bear billions in loans, the banks (...) that caused the crisis are being stylized as victims," the jury's statement continued. The "Unwort" was selected from 1129 different suggestions. 2117 entries from Germany and abroad took part in the 18th campaign.
The expert jury also criticized the term "pensioner democracy". Former German President Roman Herzog used the term to outline the horror of a state in which "the old plunder the young".
Since 1991, linguistic slurs that are factually grossly inappropriate and possibly even violate human dignity have been branded as "Unwort". The aim of the language-critical campaign is "to promote more factual appropriateness and humanity in public language use", the SDA quotes the German jury as saying.
The year before, the bad word was "stove premium". A term that defamed parents who bring up their children at home instead of using a crèche place, according to the experts. In 2006, the jurors criticized "voluntary departure", a term used by the authorities to describe the return of rejected asylum seekers.
"While the national economies are in dire straits and taxpayers have to bear billions in loans, the banks (...) that caused the crisis are being stylized as victims," the jury's statement continued. The "Unwort" was selected from 1129 different suggestions. 2117 entries from Germany and abroad took part in the 18th campaign.
The expert jury also criticized the term "pensioner democracy". Former German President Roman Herzog used the term to outline the horror of a state in which "the old plunder the young".
Since 1991, linguistic slurs that are factually grossly inappropriate and possibly even violate human dignity have been branded as "Unwort". The aim of the language-critical campaign is "to promote more factual appropriateness and humanity in public language use", the SDA quotes the German jury as saying.
The year before, the bad word was "stove premium". A term that defamed parents who bring up their children at home instead of using a crèche place, according to the experts. In 2006, the jurors criticized "voluntary departure", a term used by the authorities to describe the return of rejected asylum seekers.
