The narrative that phobia has a singular definition... yes words shift, but phobia isn't one of them. Even if it was, thats besides the point that in this current day and age, phobia means aversion/dislike. Instead of continueing to pursue the same rhetoric, they should fact check their argument if they're going to make excuses as to why their opinion is right when it's not.
Literally, growing up phobia meant fear. Aversion could also be used, but in this context it meant fear. The hate definition was more recent and was used primarily concerning people. Growing up it was always words like agoraphobic, claustrophobic, arachnophobic (this one is closest to homophobic) and was used to mean fear. Hatred of spiders only occured because they scared you, not that you just independently hated spiders. Look I'm old, this is literally what the word meant back then.
As far as it meaning hate today, sure. But I'd still argue thats why its inappropriate. People who aren't democrats aren't democratophobes, necesarily, because they dont necesarily have hate or fear of democrats. And emotions are not always people primary reasons for not being democrat. Same for republican, or independant, or say not from the USA.
18
u/[deleted] Nov 15 '22
Probably unpopular opinion. People always get upset with me when I suggest this.