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As an English speaker commenting on a German speaker's use of language -- I think it's laudably accurate, not pedantic. 'Everyone knows' may apply to how peopl
by Jedd 6y ago
As an English speaker commenting on a German speaker's use of language -- I think it's laudably accurate, not pedantic.
'Everyone knows' may apply to how people in your vicinity use that word, but it's not necessarily the case everyone uses, or approves of, this usage.
As others have noted, normalising words with specific and powerful meanings is a way to weaken those words and surreptitiously make the actions they represent more common and palatable.
- refurb 6y agoAlright, as an English speaker who has lived across North America, it's pedantic. And we're talking about an American company working with an American gov't agency. Why wouldn't how "war" is used in the US be the only thing that matters?
- lhjn 6y agoNot an English speaker, but the very fact you find it pedantic is making his point, IMO. It means their normalizing the word "war" worked on you - or it may be seen as such. Not judging you though, just my perceptions.
- refurb 6y agoI don’t disagree. I guess my point is we are well beyond “normalization”. We’ve been using “war against...” for the past 50 years at least.
- chrisandchips 6y agoI see where you’re coming from, but I disagree that the normalization argument is the only interpretation of whats going on here. Language is extremely fluid and its development often exceeds our own conscious understanding. « A sustained campaign against something undesirable » is already a commonly accepted definition of the word war. It can grow to mean different things in different contexts just as much as any other word can. I think we need a lot more argument to prove the normalization of the word causes peoples perspective of conflict to change
- still_grokking 6y agoOK, let's compare your definition of "war" with the one Wikipedia has to offer: «War is intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, aggression, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces.» Brainwashing seems to work fine, making a "campaign against something undesirable" out of the most horrible bloodshed.
- chrisandchips 6y agoThe definition I used comes from the same team behind the Oxford dictionary. https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/war https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/war