They Can't Fool Us This Way

Have you noticed?

The "War on Terror" is no more. It has been replaced by the "global struggle against violent extremism."

As linguist George Lakoff says:

'It is important to note the date on which the phrase "war on terror" died and was replaced by "global struggle against violent extremism." It was right after the London bombing. Using the War frame to think and talk about terrorism was becoming more difficult. The Iraq War was declared won and over, but it became clear that it was far from over and not at all won and that it created many new terrorists for every one it destroyed. The last justification "fighting the war on terror in Iraq so it wouldn't have to be fought at home" died in the London bombing.'

The new phrase has been chosen carefully, to make us realize that this conflict is a global and, essentially, unwinnable slog as it always was. It has been chosen to make us forget that "the war on terror" ever existed and that it could not, from the get-go ever succeed.

It has also been chosen to make the term "War on Terror" go away; to make us forget that anti-war progressives said exactly what Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the head man in waging war) said in objecting to the original term: "... if you call it a war, then you think of people in uniform as the solution" whereas the solution is "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military."

Yet, Republicans and Neo-cons cannot end their war - and ours (for it is the citizens of this country who are fighting and dying) - just by changing the name.

However, as usual, they want to lull us into amnesia. Make us forget just how wrong and how destructive they are and that they have gotten us into a war that is like quicksand.

Well, I'm not letting them get away with it, and I hope you won't either.

So what should progressives do?

As Lakoff says:

'Remind the public that there is still a war going on, that it was the wrong policy from the beginning, that the administration now agrees with the anti-war activists, and that you can't end a war just by stopping the use of the word.

And remind the public of what Karl Rove said just weeks ago: "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war."'

It was conservatives who lead us into this debacle, not democrats, liberals or progressives.

And the conservatives were wrong. Had they been right, they'd still be talking proudly about the "war."

So I'm going to create a bumper sticker that will say:

THEY CAN'T END THEIR WAR
JUST BY NOT SAYING THE WORD

and another urging everyone to vote the bastards out of the House and Senate this November.

Yours for:

people over corporations
humanity over inhumanity
truth over lies
congressional ethics reform over "lobby reform"
justice over cheating the poor

Molly