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Off topic, but has it occurred to anyone that the overuse of the term 'war on x' might impair what the word 'war' really stands for?
by scrrr 12y ago
Off topic, but has it occurred to anyone that the overuse of the term 'war on x' might impair what the word 'war' really stands for?
- jessaustin 12y agoThat ship done sailed. Like, in the 1960s. No worries, though, because if any concept deserves impairing and besmirching, surely war does?
- otherusername 12y ago"Early examples of war as metaphor in US political discourse include J. Edgar Hoover's "war on crime" in the 1930s". We've been using it as a metaphor since 1930's. It hasn't impaired the "real" usage of the word "War" so far. I doubt it will in the future.
- pluma 12y agoTo be fair, the US has always been at war with Eastasia.
- danbruc 12y agoGeorge Carlin more than 20 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilipDBclxRc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilipDBclxRc
- JetSpiegel 12y agoEdwin Starr too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQHUAJTZqF0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQHUAJTZqF0
- ctdonath 12y agoWell, not long after the term started (Hoover), the US Congress ceased to "declare war" when proceeding to engage in what obviously is war. Now it's just "kinetic military action" or some such, never a statement of "the USA hereby declares war on ______ ...".