Three Startling New Words That Define the Challenges We Face
New words for a brave new world
I can’t put into words what most of the world is feeling right now, but maybe these words can help.
There has been a confluence of two historical events happening at the same time this week: the invasion of Ukraine and the latest IPCC report on global climate change.
As the world comes to grip with what it happening and what it all means, three unfamiliar words have caught my eye on social media and sum up the new mood.
1. Dezinformatsiya (or Deza, for short)
Any good crime novelist will tell you the world of espionage has its own vocabulary.
You may know other words that date back before the Cold War to Tzarist times, words such as kompromat (compromising material) or provokatsiya (provoking secret acts to confuse and dismay the enemy).
In Russian, the literal translation for disinformation is dezinformatsiya.
You may be more familiar with “fake news.”
Dezinformatsiya is a curious blend of fact and fantasy designed to confuse and shift discussions. It is almost impossible for people outside of…
