Great point! Have you seen the documentary Star Wars btw? They have some interesting counterpoints on the use of violence against one’s oppressors in the interest of obtaining freedom from said oppressors.
There is a logic behind this, but you kinda have to be a linguistics nerd to know.
L and W are pretty similarly pronounced in many languages including English. Over time, this plus the fact that some might have difficulty speaking the language (still learning, have a lisp, low literacy, etc) leads to Ls becoming Ws in places.
Long story short, L took the L sometimes in English
How is it virtue signalling? That’s when someone brags verbally about their position or perspective based on social expectations.
Based on your use of the word “destructive” I assume you’re talking about radical animal activists like the ones who sabotage industrial meat factories, often secretly and anonymously for their own safety.
So, do you really think these really are people who are ineffectual and desiring social reaffirmation of their views? If anything, this group of individuals are exactly those I would call to mind as ones who are not afraid to make actual change in the world they want to see, whatever it takes. Forget if you agree with them or not. It seems absurd to call them ineffective virtue-signallers.