Knowing our host’s interest in the use and misuse of language for political ends, an article in today’s L.A. Times caught my attention:
WASHINGTON  Is it a “surge?” Is it an “escalation?” Is it harmless semantics? Is it disingenuous spin?
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What infuriates critics of the war, including many liberal Democrats, is that they see “surge” as a manipulative and deceptive word. It implies a relatively short-term increase in the U.S. military commitment, they say, when the White House intends to keep the additional troops in Iraq much longer, perhaps for several years.
Even worse, critics say, the news media have uncritically accepted the word and thus contributed to deceiving the public.
***
Some profess to see Machiavellian intrigue by White House political guru Karl Rove.
Wade far enough into the piece, however, and you find this:
The controversy has not been diminished by the fact that Bush and senior White House officials have steered clear of “surge” themselves.
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Although critics blame pro-war spinmeisters, some military officials say “surge” has long been used in the armed forces to indicate a quick, not necessarily short-term, increase.
And finally:
If all that seemed a bit confusing, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow had a solution Tuesday. Braced on “surge” versus “escalation,” Snow said it was up to the reporters:
“You guys do words for a living,” he said. “Rather than trying to ask Democratic or even Republican lawmakers what the proper descriptive term is, you figure it out.”
Here’s a hint: Is it really an “escalation” to increase troop strength in Iraq to 160,000—when we had that many troops in Iraq in December 2005?
I just wish these left-wingers would stop their conspiracy theories about the MSM being in bed with Chimpy McBushitlerburton.
/sarcasm
Surge does have a very specific meaning to us (at least in the Army). Left to it’s own devices, I am sure the press will pick what they believe to be the most ominous sounding…
Uh, I forgot to provide an example…
Taken from “Serving a Nation at War: A Campaign Quality Army with Joint and Expeditionary Capabilities”
I’d just like to point out that if we were to just change the spelling to serge, it would be much less ominous.
On the other hand, “an increase in soul-less killbots sent to steal oil and oppress the brown people” probably would never make it past the military censors. Plus it’s kinda wordy.
I’m sure some will advise that we pull out before the swelling becomes a gush.
Two things:
(a) Karl Rove is behind everything. It’s going to be interesting in February 2009 when they have to find another super-genius to blame everything on.
(b) Snow telling reporters to figure it out on their own? WTH? Them? Work for a living? May sainted aunt! My salts!
Tony Snow should be dipped in bronze for that. Bless him.
Perhaps it should be called an engorged penetration.
Hmmm. I don’t know if I regard being dipped in bronze a reward.
I think surge is fine. I mean, how does counterinescalationcy sound?
Dan…
Counterinesca#$)eal;k)#@wjel;awjrel>;wkrjawe<<,.
my tongue hurts now….
And Mr. Snow should know better than to give the MSM free reign with wording…
When we say ‘temporary troop level increase’, they would say “VIET NAM ALL OVER AGAIN!!” (and quagmire, don’t forget quagmire..) well, like they already aren’t…
Since when has government called a spade a spade anyway… or a pick a pick, or a hoe a hoe…
Hell a woodscrew is really a fully slotted, manually operated, fiber intrusion securing unit..(h/t: “shoe”: <a href=”http://www.macnelly.com/” target=”_blank”>
Holy fuck. For getting published at all, that article deserves a Special Pulitzer. I couldn’t have passed off that level of jumbled idiocy in a sixth-grade book report.
I’ve dodged the big dailies for so long now I forget how (not merely incompetent but) impenetrably dumb their staff reporters are. I don’t know how Snow resists picking up the podium and Hulking it at those snotty ‘tards.
I love how he mic-slapped this article without its writer understanding how he did it. “Stop hitting yourself!”
I watched Ted (The Swimmer) Kennedy in the throes of a ‘Nam flashback, and am convinced that he can almost taste the blood of at least another two million dead in the wake of cutting off funding for the Iraq war. What a great idea to stir up a hornets nest, and then throw it over the fence into the Iraqi’s back yard. Brilliant!
It’s no wonder the avaerage Iraqi is afraid to stick his/her neck out and supply information about the insurgency. With people like Kennedy and Murtha promising to leave them at the whim of murderous animals, it’s no wonder that most Iraqis are afraid to help us. When we cut and run, not only any informer, but their whole families are DEAD, DEAD, DEAD.
How the F–k did a selfish killer like The Swimmer ever stay in power, anyway? Thank you, Mass. libs.
How cool for Kennedy. Because he wants to show how powerful (and downright stupid) he is, he is willing to add at least another two million deaths to the two million he and his ilk have already caused in the far East. Al Qeda and Sadr couldn’t have wished for a better ally in their jihad against the West.
Go, Ted! Cut off the funding and then puff your chest out for being complicit in the deaths of millions of people.
YEAH! That’s what we’re talking about!