Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

littlemissmartypants

(35,711 posts)
20. Social Murder:
Wed Jul 1, 2026, 10:09 AM
Wednesday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_murder

Social murder (translated from the German term sozialer Mord) is a concept used to describe unnatural or premature deaths that occurs due to preventable problems in social, political, or economic systems, rather than the direct violence often associated with murder. The term originally specifically described deaths due to problems stemming from working conditions under capitalism, the term has since expanded to include preventable deaths due to systemic issues other than ones believed to be inherent under capitalism.

The origin of the term social murder is credited to German philosopher Friedrich Engels, who coined the term in 1845 to describe premature, preventable deaths among the English working class. Social murder has since been used by left-wing politicians, journalists, and activists to describe deaths attributed to larger social forces. The term has particularly re-emerged as a popular term in the 21st century, having been used by commentators to describe events such as the Grenfell tower fire, the 2024 Spanish floods, and deaths from UnitedHealth Group's insurance policies.

AKA SLS:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shit_life_syndrome

Shit life syndrome (SLS) is a phrase used by physicians in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia for the effect that a variety of poverty or abuse-induced disorders can have on patients.

Recommendations

2 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Anything more annoying than leaving the house in shorts and flip-flops and getting caught in the rain? luv2fly Wednesday #1
Leaving the house in flip-flops is bad enough Redleg Wednesday #2
You must not live in California. chia Wednesday #22
I do not Redleg Thursday #34
That is the part of the article you choose to comment upon?... MiHale Wednesday #3
Indeed it is, thanks for noticing luv2fly Wednesday #6
Got cha...👍 MiHale Wednesday #7
I'm not partial to flip flops RB77 Wednesday #17
Never wore ff's..never will... MiHale Wednesday #30
Farmers depend on accuracy. yourmovemonkey Wednesday #9
Yes, I know I live in farmland... MiHale Wednesday #31
It matters to me a lot. I don't have a car so I walk about an hour to the grocery store, and part-way home progree Wednesday #4
I have noticed this recently Bluestocking Wednesday #5
My wife and I use different apps and get different forecasts underpants Wednesday #24
"I'm not able to predict severe weather with the confidence I normally would. That is extremely concerning." progree Wednesday #8
Living in tornado alley this can be a big deal Racygrandma Wednesday #10
Tornadoes are a bad example, being unpredictable..... ColoringFool Wednesday #15
Yes, it was 2 am Racygrandma Wednesday #16
Republican governance is dysfunctional by design dlk Wednesday #11
GOP Mantra - Government is broken. Elect me and I''ll break it more to prove my point AZLD4Candidate Wednesday #12
Exactly dlk Wednesday #14
I haven't noticed. Has this alleged inaccuracy been a major problem?.... ColoringFool Wednesday #13
'leaving the house in shorts and flip flops, only to get caught in an unexpected downpour' Intractable Wednesday #18
Every day it says rain that never comes. Historic NY Wednesday #19
Everybody talks about the weather but no ones does anything about it underpants Wednesday #27
Social Murder: littlemissmartypants Wednesday #20
Good info thanks. underpants Wednesday #25
Social murder - glad to learn a new term. yellow dahlia Wednesday #33
The republicans want TO PRIVTIZE weather gathering and reporting. It is part of their long-range plans to..... usaf-vet Wednesday #21
Sen. Santorum tried to privatize weather in 2005 to Accu Weather underpants Wednesday #26
While weather events are becoming more extreme due to climate change, which Trump says is a Chinese hoax. surfered Wednesday #23
Surgery canceled due to global warming JillyUpstateNY Wednesday #28
Well at least I'm not the only one, the forcasts are either at minute or not ar all Historic NY Wednesday #29
K & R malaise Wednesday #32
Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Science»Here's Why Weather Foreca...»Reply #20