By Military Woman
Question:
What are some of the new terms—and new ways of using old terms—that Canadians should know about for 2025?
Answer:
In case you haven’t noticed, Trump is back. His ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) 2.0 campaign promises a new ‘Golden Age’ with a sharp focus on ‘America First’ initiatives.
During Pete Hegseth’s riveting Senate confirmation hearing to become the next U.S. Secretary of Defence, it became clearer how the ‘America First’ approach might also influence Canadian politics and military culture—especially for women and 2SLGBTQI+ members of the armed forces.
To help you navigate the ever-shifting vocabulary landscape, here are 10 terms—some new and others repurposed—you might want to better understand:
Maple MAGA
The ‘sweetened’ Canadian version of the U.S. MAGA movement. Like it or not, U.S.- originated MAGA rhetoric, vocabulary, and themes are gaining traction in Canada, including within our military circles.Woke
Once used to describe someone with awareness of social inequities, ‘woke’ is now a term of ridicule. It’s often used to dismiss anyone who highlights the existence of systemic, unearned workplace and social advantages that disproportionately benefit white, heterosexual, Christian men.Cancel Culture
Once describing backlash—usually online—against regressive opinions, ‘cancel culture’ now targets those labeled as ‘woke’. Bot-driven online campaigns, often originating outside Canada, amplify our societal polarization and suppress needed critical discussions.Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
The Canadian version of the U.S.’s ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ (DEI) policies. Once tied to workplace fairness policies, all these terms are now politicized. Critics claim EDI overemphasizes identity factors over merit, while advocates highlight the systemic barriers that continue to prevent some groups from receiving equal recognition of merit for equal work.Freedom Convoys
What started as a Canadian truckers’ protest against vaccine mandates grew into a global movement, including the U.S. based ‘People’s Convoy’. While the convoys championed bodily autonomy, critics highlighted their selective application of ‘my body, my choice’ supports to men while ignoring parallel calls by some women for more reproductive rights.Gender Ideology
Originally promoting equality for women and 2SLGBTQI+ people, ‘gender ideology’ is now a politically weaponized term. Policies supporting gender-neutral washrooms and pronoun use are increasingly framed as ideological battles, often fueled by misinformation designed to heighten societal divide.The Great Replacement Theory
A conspiracy theory claiming immigration policies aim to ‘replace’ native-born populations, often targeting non-white, non-Christian immigrants. This rhetoric has also been linked to criticisms against military recruitment strategies that target specific populations that are known to be underrepresented in the military.Oligarchy
Power concentrated among a small group of elites, such as unelected business CEOs. Spin-off terms like ‘Tech Oligarchs’ and ‘Broligarchs’, highlight the sudden rise in global influence of a handful of ‘Tech Bro’ industry leaders.Traditional Military Ways
This phrase often romanticizes strict gender roles, where the tradwife stays home to support their male military spouse’s career instead of pursuing their own career. For some, it’s also a coded way to resist against progress on gender and sexual orientation equality and integration within the military.Virtue Signalling
A polarizing term used to dismiss other’s decisions as being performative. For example, a leader selecting a woman Veteran for a Remembrance Day event might be dismissed as ‘virtue signalling,’ even when the choice was merit-based.
Why Words Matter
Many of these phrases are becoming commonplace in our social media feeds and daily conversations. Understanding their evolving meanings helps us communicate more effectively and recognize quicker when language is weaponized to sow chaos, division, and distraction—often benefiting foreign actors.
What to Do with This Knowledge
Stay curious. Keep learning. By following our ever-evolving vocabulary, Canadians can better identify disinformation, counter misinformation, and engage in respectful, meaningful non-violent dialogue with one another.
For 2025, it’s time to step out of our algorithm-driven online echo chambers and reconnect more through face-to-face conversations. By genuinely sharing and understanding each other’s lived experiences, we can begin to bridge the growing divides in Canadian families, workplaces, and communities.
