Words As The First Step Backward

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people who will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”

- Buddha

On January 14, the Argentinian government published a new disability scale in its official gazette. This report included obsolete and, above all, offensive words. It contained severe terms such as "idiot," "imbecile," and "feeble-minded(1)." Faced with criticism and public pressure, the National Disability Agency declared that a mistake had been made and that the corresponding changes would be made to the new scale.

When I read this news, I initially thought it was fake or a joke in poor taste. However, when I realized it was official, the incident seemed even more serious. After days of reflection, I couldn't help but think about the importance of language and how it acts as a gateway to regression or progress.

One of my favorite theories of International Relations, constructivism, states that: Human associations are determined by shared ideas and not necessarily by material forces, and, on the other hand, that the identity and interest of the actors are built from those shared ideas and not by a natural designation (2).

From this perspective, I consider it pertinent to add that, in addition to ideas, language is one of the most important elements in building a society. This is where the case of Argentina becomes a clear example: ideas and language merge to create a discourse and a discriminatory vision toward a historically vulnerable segment of society.

The fact that the government has approved and allowed the circulation of derogatory words directed at people with disabilities represents a profound risk. When spheres of power, such as governments, use their authority to spread discriminatory ideas, a fracture occurs within society. Sectors emerge that, recognizing the state's permissiveness toward this type of language, replicate and validate it as correct. In other words, a government can influence the progress or regression of its society through its discourse.

Photo by Europeana on Unsplash

This phenomenon is neither isolated nor exclusive to Argentina. Currently, in various parts of the world, we observe how language and ideas are being used as tools to shape new social visions, often fraught with polarization, exclusion, and regression. In the United States, for example, the debate over censorship and freedom of expression has generated a strong political and cultural divide. In certain parts of Europe, the public narrative about migrants has become harsher, fueling hate speech that was previously considered unacceptable.

Our world is changing rapidly due to armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, and geopolitical transformations, but these are not the only factors. Change is also taking place on a symbolic level, in the ideas that circulate, the discourses that are promoted, and the language that is normalized.

Language is not simply a vehicle for communication; it's a powerful tool for social construction. The words we use to name others, especially those who are different, vulnerable, or historically oppressed, can dignify or dehumanize them. The ideas we repeat shape not only our perception of reality but also our actions toward it.

Given our global context, we need to recognize how the use of language is transforming the ideology of contemporary societies. We cannot allow discourses that promote discrimination or violence to continue to be normalized, especially when these discourses come from institutions that are tasked with guaranteeing the well-being of our society and respect for the rights of all people.

References

1- Molina, F. R.(2025, 27 febrero). “Idiota”, “imbécil”, “débil mental”: el Gobierno de Milei resucita insultos para clasificar la discapacidad. El País Argentina. https://elpais.com/argentina/2025-02-27/idiota-imbecil-debil-mental-el-gobierno-de-milei-resucita-insultos-para-clasificar-la-discapacidad.html

2- Wendt, Alexander (1995) “Constructing international politics” International Security, 20(1): 71-81 CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. (2006). UN. https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/documents/tccconvs.pdf

3- Corum, E. (2025, 28 febrero). El Gobierno de Milei modificará la resolución que califica como "idiotas" e "imbéciles" a las personas con discapacidad. RTVE.es. https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20250228/gobierno-milei-describe-como-idiotas-imbeciles-personas-discapacidad/16469911.shtml

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed herein belong solely to the columnist and do not represent the official position of our think-tank. Humanotions cannot be held liable for any consequences arising from this content. Content published on Humanotions may contain links to third-party sources. Humanotions is not responsible for the content of these external links. Please refer to our Legal Notices & Policies page for legal details and our Guidelines For Republishing page for republication terms.