From the apocalypse to tomato soup, here is a review of the 10 words or expressions that marked 2022.
Apocalypse
With the ukrainian war and the more or less explicit threats of Vladimir Putin, the possibility of a nuclear war, or at least a tactical nuclear attack, returned to the public debate as it had not done for decades. “We have not faced the prospect of the apocalypse since (the presidency of John F.) Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis,” in 1962, summed up US President Joe Biden at the beginning of October. Faced with Moscow, the nuclear-armed powers are forced to ask dizzying questions about its deterrence and its possible response.
Screenshot by Emine Dzheppar (@EmineDzheppar)
check
The blue mark that certifies the identity of the holder of an account in Twitter illustrates the cacophony that has reigned on the social network since the billionaire Elon Musk bought it at the end of October for 44,000 million dollars. After launching a paid version of profile certification, the social network was forced to suspend the new system after only two days: due to the lack of identity verification, many accounts were posing as celebrities or large companies. , from basketball player LeBron James to Nintendo. In late November, a new announcement was made: Twitter would soon be rolling out gray, gold, and blue markings to distinguish between the different types of accounts authenticated on the platform.
JIM WATSON / AFP
Woman, life, freedom
It is the slogan of the Iranian protesters and has become a symbol of the revolt that broke out after the death on September 16 of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman detained in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly. It is chanted in almost daily and violently suppressed demonstrations, appears in messages of support on social media in Iran and abroad, and was displayed on a banner during Iran’s first World Cup match in Qatar.
A4 sheets
In late November, many Chinese voiced their opposition to the government and its strict “zero covid” policy using creative ways to bypass censorship and show their anger and support for the protests. In several cities, including the capital Beijing, protesters brandished sheets of white A4 paper, referring to the lack of freedom of expression in China. Others also posted white boxes on their WeChat profiles.
londonbridge
From the announcement of the death, to the funeral protocol and the conditions of accession to the throne of his successor, the Operation “London Bridge” (London Bridge) foresaw step by step the sequence of events after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 after reigning for 70 years on September 8. The plan had been fine-tuned over the years and frequently revised, but had to be adapted at the last minute as the sovereign died in Scotland, far from the British capital.
JEFF J MITCHELL / POOL / AFP
loss and damage
After a year 2022 that sadly illustrated the acceleration of the catastrophic consequences of global warming, the UN climate conference reached an agreement described as “historic” on the implementation of a fund to compensate for the “losses and damages” of the climate change already suffered by the poorest countries. Adopted at the last moment, in the middle of the night, when the issue was not even on the agenda of COP27, this measure had been demanded for a long time by the smallest nations. Rich countries, historically big emitters of greenhouse gases, have refused for years to admit any legal responsibility.
Mohammed Abed/AFP
post fascist
A century after Benito Mussolini came to power, the victory of the far-right Brothers of Italy party in the legislative elections at the end of September allowed its leader, Giorgia Meloni, becoming the first woman to head the Italian government. Presented as “post-fascist” and an admirer of Mussolini in her youth, Ella Meloni claimed she had “no sympathy or closeness to anti-democratic regimes.” “I have never had any sympathy or closeness with anti-democratic regimes, including fascism,” she said.
AFP
roe v. Wade
In a historic twist, the highly conservative US Supreme Court in June buried the landmark 1973 “Roe v. Wade” decision, which guaranteed women’s right to abortion. Now, each state is free to decide whether or not to allow abortion in its territory. Fifteen states have already banned it. However, the results of the recent midterm elections were an opportunity for abortion advocates to celebrate several victories, including in the very conservative state of Kentucky, where voters rejected a referendum against abortion rights.
JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
Sobriety
Turn down the heating, wear high-necked divers, limit the use of electrical appliances… In the midst of the energy crisis, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the desire to get rid of dependence on Russian gas, the calls for energy sobriety, especially in Europe. The goal is to avoid power outages and blackouts. It is also part of the fight against global warming. For many consumers, this sobriety is also an economic necessity, in many countries hit by inflation.
Tomato soup
The sunflowers Van Gogh’s Drizzled Tomato Soup in London, the haystacks of Claude Monet covered in mashed potatoes near Berlin, and a BMW painted by Andy Warhol covered in flour in Milan. The end of the year was marked by spectacular actions by environmental activists to alert public opinion to global warming. Protected by glass, the works were not damaged. These and other actions, such as the interruption of sports competitions or the blocking of roads, were intended to relaunch the debate on the climate, even if this meant antagonizing a part of public opinion.
(AFP)
