ABSTRACT
Over the last two decades, the media-fueled neologism “sorosoid” (соросоид) has established itself as a buzzword with a strongly pejorative connotation in the lingo of Bulgarian gurus of neoconservatism of all hues. It refers to an individual or an organization allegedly relying on Soros’s funding to promote ideas and values which, according to these ideologues, undermine inherently national cultural traditions. From this tribalistic perspective, which is gaining ground in Bulgarian society, the two most obvious culprits for the supposed disintegration of national identity are liberal attitudes to gender and immigration. In what follows I will trace the peculiar uses of the word “sorosoid” in Bulgarian public discourse, and I will also focus on some of its dehumanizing connotations. The chapter will be divided into seven sections. The first one will focus on what I consider the two fundamental targets of neoconservative ideology in Bulgaria and on the reason why they are incompatible with the idea of open society. In the second section, I will give a brief overview, based on relevant quotations from Bulgarian media, of some current uses of the word “sorosoid.” The third section will provide a semantic analysis of the dehumanizing potential of the inflection “-oid.” Following on that, I will elaborate on three figures of the “non-human” that the inflection invokes: the animal, the machine, and the figure of divinity. In the seventh section, I will suggest two strategies of assertion of the values of open society in Bulgaria. The conclusion will briefly elaborate on the role of the supporters of open society in Bulgaria in the current political situation.
