Bush Makes It Clear Phrase Is 'War on Terror' (overrules advisers)

[DeepModem Mom]

President Makes It Clear Phrase Is 'War on Terror'
By RICHARD W. STEVENSON
Published: August 4, 2005


GRAPEVINE, Tex., Aug. 3 - President Bush publicly overruled some of his top advisers on Wednesday in a debate about what to call the conflict with Islamic extremists, saying, "Make no mistake about it, we are at war."

In a speech here, Mr. Bush used the phrase "war on terror" no less than five times. Not once did he refer to the "global struggle against violent extremism," the wording consciously adopted by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other officials in recent weeks after internal deliberations about the best way to communicate how the United States views the challenge it is facing.

In recent public appearances, Mr. Rumsfeld and senior military officers have avoided formulations using the word "war," and some of Mr. Bush's top advisers have suggested that the administration wanted to jettison what had been its semiofficial wording of choice, "the global war on terror."

In an interview last week about the new wording, Stephen J. Hadley, Mr. Bush's national security adviser, said that the conflict was "more than just a military war on terror" and that the United States needed to counter "the gloomy vision" of the extremists and "offer a positive alternative."

But administration officials became concerned when some news reports linked the change in language to signals of a shift in policy. At the same time, Mr. Bush, by some accounts, told aides that he was not happy with the new phrasing, a change of tone from the wording he had consistently used since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/politics/04bush.html?hp&ex=1123128000&en=997cdd1d8ec001fa&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[swag]

1. Yet another public relations ruse

[Festivito]

31. Yup, Rove idea 723 to hide the treason inside the WH gates. nt.

[beam me up scottie]

2. Don't they realize how long it

takes to train him to do a new trick?

[pinto]

3. A good glimpse into their thinking: it's what you call it, not what it is.

[havocmom]

4. shrub has to stick with 'war on terra' cuz he couldn't possibly say

'I'm a global struggle against violent extremism president. I have global struggle against violent extremism on my mind' without having a seizure and falling off his pretzel

[leftchick]

14. exactly

the visuals!!!!

:rofl:

[flordehinojos]

22. bush is determined to kill every human whom he deems a terrorist.

José Luis Cubillán of Venezuela's EL MUNDO writes the following,

(snip)
Bush's "... strategies to counter terrorism have an absurd parallel. Suppose you were a man that was determined eradicate HIV from the world, and you decide that the best strategy for doing so would be to kill all the people on earth who carried the virus, so as to eliminate the virus within them. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Yet this is the strategy that the first world has implemented to battle terrorism - attacking nations where it is believed terrorism germinates, and forcing Muslims in London, New York and Madrid to submit to the most onerous registration procedures." (snip)

bush is determined to kill every human whom he deems a terrorist, and since he cannot call himself a murderer out to kill Muslims, he must say that he is fighting a war on terror. He is not fighting a war. He is killing terrorists and he is occupying a foreign land. we all know it. he wants to pull the wool over the rest of us and our eyes.

[loyalsister]

25. If anything this shows he's NOT dumb

Could it be that this is coming down after it was mocked in the press?

We should be careful not to underestimate him.

[librechik]

39. snerk

good one!

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. "We are at war with terror."

"And once we've won, we're making war on horror our next priority. And after that, we'll make war on general ickiness. This is a long war, with no end in sight, but I know America can stay the course."

[radfringe]

27. how about a compromise?

they could just say "we are struggling with a war on terror"

[ktowntennesseedem]

51. Why can't the president simply say...

"I am struggling." That about sums it up in my opinion.

[Uncle Joe]

54. How many wars can we fight?

We have not won the "War on Poverty", the "War on Drugs", the actual War on Terror and now the War on Iraq. This war word is really getting a workout.

[PapaJoe]

63. mebbe it is Tar on Wearer

or Wart on Error, Whir on Tartar, Tart on Era or Air on Twatter, it still started on a big lucking fie.

[Lorien]

64. The only people who can help "win" a "war on terror"

is an army of psychologists.

[DURHAM D]

6. This is really funny - can you remember any other point in

history when a President was openly fighting with his handlers over verbage. So childish.

[truthisfreedom]

24. can you remember any other point in history when a president couldn't talk

???

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. It's a Bad Idea

to introduce new products in August.

[Imagevision]

8. Bush refused because it was just too damn confusing to remember

people, we're dealing with an ex drunk/ coke-head! duh!

it's ok George you can call it whatever you damn well please.

[rodeodance]

16. and can you imagine JR trying to SAY it ????? te he.

[daleo]

9. I saw him today speaking from that ALEC conference

I honestly thought he would shout "bring it on" again. Or he would start throwing his feces. He seemed deranged.

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Odd. There were no terrorists in Iraq. Go figure.

Unless you count people trying to free their country from brutal, torture-happy occupationists as terrorists.

[arcane1]

58. that's EXACTLY who they are counting

:grr:

[applegrove]

11. What a powerful man!!! ROTFLMAO!

[Trillo]

12. This seems clear enough.

Since "terror" is a more wide-ranging term, potentially encompassing more activities, it's preferable to fighting "violent extremism" at a global level.

Utilizing the word "terror", perhaps even peaceful protestors can be deemed worthy of "surveillance," or worse, after all, they "might" be terrorists. "Terror" is much more subjective in meaning.

It seems to me the omission of the word "violent" and "global" makes the difference in meaning quite clear.

[Imagevision]

13. Yeah, there ya go! war on terror - "Bring it on"... GWB

[fishnfla]

15. The Iraqi fiasco is Bush's war. He wanted it, he can call it whatever

but its his war and will go down in history as such. Funny how the other admin. are putting it at arms length. What did Colin Powell warn him: you break, you buy it.

Bush's war has nothing to do with terrorism. We'll take care of that when grown-ups are in the WH

[nolabels]

46. Who created who?

Is the little monster they help create getting out of hand :cry:


http://library.sdsmt.edu/AV/afi100e_k.htm

[anotherdrew]

17. It's his New Coke moment

GWoT
GSAVE
TEOTWAWKI

[wanpete]

18. not to mention how faux, cnn, and msrnc have used this phrase

ad nauseum for the past four years. He's not going to get rid of it in two weeks. Most of his minions can't even put that many words together in a sentence. (oh, and he can't either!)

[Pachamama]

19. "I'm the WAR Prez Dammit" -not the "Struggle President"

Aaaaawwwwww.....poor Georgie!

[wanpete]

21. i wake up everyday and make decisions with war on my mind...

dipstick:dunce:

[cyberpj]

36. Right... Let's see......

Golf or biking...
biking or golf.......

[Pachamama]

48. Well, we all know he's at "War" with his bicycle....

...and the bike is winning....

(Wish I had the photo of the wounded War President in his struggle, I mean war, with the bicycle)....

[DeepModem Mom]

32. That's it, Pachamama!

Remember when Rove tried to have him compared to FDR and Churchill? Nauseating.

[Dr Fate]

20. God damned struggle mongers.

n/t

[pinniped]

23. Someone must have wound the POS five times.

--...in a speech here, the * used the phrase "war on terror" no less than five times--

[ngGale]

26. That man is a 'terrorist' ...

he's a sadistic sob. :sarcasm:

[NeoConsSuck]

28. Well, sheeesssshhh,

you can't expect the cockroach to go marching around in a military flight uniform over a 'global struggle'.

[EST]

29. Pinnochio has such a struggle learning a new phrase.

He may be a political genius, but he's dumber than a box of shit.

[liberal N proud]

30. That's War On TERRA to you!

Sounds like the White House of Cards is starting to show some cracks. They aren't keeping the talking points in line any longer.

:rofl:

[Buns_of_Fire]

33. "My Struggle", in German = "Mein Kampf"

Perhaps one of his smarter advisors (I know what you're thinking; but it's all relative) pointed that out to Commander Codpiece. Bad PR, you know.

[UncleSepp]

53. Jihad is also struggle. As in the struggle to be a better person.

The PR problem with "struggle" may be that it is a victim's word. An animal struggles in a trap, it does not make war on the trap. "The revolutionary struggle" is fought from the bottom, and is the word of the rebel. "War" is a word that can properly be used only by nations, and is an aggressor's word.

[tsuki]

34. Kind of difficult telling Ohioans that 21 of their boys died for the

struggle.

[Dulcinea]

59. You don't send young men & women off to die in a "struggle."

You send them off to WAR, to return home as heroes.

Sadly, that's not what's happening.

My condolences to those families who have lost their children, parents, and loved ones.

[AirAmFan]

35. Plame leakers may think, 'if it's not a "WAR", we may avoid Eddie Slovik's

fate. Who could be executed for treason for blowing scores of CIA covers during a "global struggle against violent extremism"?'

[Javaman]

37. At a recent press confernce...

The press room is packed with the usual glad handers of the MSM to catch the latest words of wisdom spewed forth by our fearless leader*

The fearless leader* approaches the podium and begins...

FL*: thank you all for...war on terror...coming, I will take your questions...Jeff?

Jeff(wanna-be reporter): Mr. prez*, how has your vacation been going?

FL*: on just great...war on terror...I have been clearing...mission accomplished...brush and...they hate us for our freedoms...spending time watching tv...clark kent in the front row...

Kent: mr. prez* what are your thoughts about meaning of life?

FL*: well...smoke them out...I have been doing a lot...9/11, 9/11...thinking about that very...I don't think about him much...much.

Kent: follow up question, what are your conclusions?

FL*: pretty much the same as any...mission accomplished...American, that is...your either with us or against us...your either with us or against us...Hey your new, go ahead...

New guy: So mr. prez*, it appears as if the investigation into the Plame exposure is coming to a head, do you expect to fire Rove if he is guilty of leaking the information?

FL*: war on terror, war on terror! Mission accomplished, they hate us, 9/11, against us!!! This conference is over!!!

[4_TN_TITANS]

38. How 'bout 'war IS terror'....

Man, it sure is comforting to know that they are struggling with the really important issues at the WH..... :sarcasm:

What a pack of stooges, we are so fucked for the next few years. :hide:

[babydollhead]

40. sept. 11th, before reading, My Pet Goat...

* declared a War on Illiteracy...

[Plaid Adder]

41. So...what were they afraid Bush would say by accident while trying to

pronounce "Global struggle against extremism"?

Vote in the online poll!:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4257755

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[centristo]

42. Bush doesn't want to have to apologize to John Kerry...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508030001

No major newspapers noted that Bush had bashed Kerry with now-defunct "war on terror" term

In the week since the press first cited unnamed Bush administration officials signaling a shift in vocabulary -- dropping the moniker "war on terror" in favor of "a global struggle against violent extremism" -- The New York Sun and The Weekly Standard have noted what major newspapers have not: that Bush has summarily abandoned a term that he and Vice President Dick Cheney ridiculed Sen. John Kerry for purportedly resisting during the 2004 presidential campaign.

During the 2004 campaign, Bush and Cheney attacked Kerry for his purported reluctance to use the term "war" to describe the struggle against terror, and cited his reluctance as evidence that Kerry failed to "even comprehend the war on terror." While no paper in the Nexis "Major newspapers" database has noted that Bush's change in terminology conflicts with his attacks on Kerry, The Weekly Standard's "Scrapbook" column raised the question: "Is it conceivable that John Kerry is owed an apology by the Bush administration?"

/snip

[second edition]

52. Bush doesn't want to admit Kerry was right, absolutely!

He also doesn't want to admit to a grand scale mistake! It's better to stick with the misleading words of war and terror.

[KansDem]

43. Turn it around like what was done with "Contract with America."

That became "Contract on America." Now, take Bush's delusional phrase "War on Terror" and call it "War with Terror," a much more fitting name.

Let others decide who the "terrorists" are.

[shantipriya]

44. idiot

The idiot and bufoon doesn't know what he is talking about

[d_b]

45. Whoa, man!

Bush is such a badass. Full of steadfast resolve and big bulging jet fighter pants.

[stanwyck]

62. You called it. It's just more

of the packaging of Bush as the Reaganite Cowboy who doesn't need any stinkin' advisors telling HIM what to say!
Only...some advisor told him to say this.

[mistertrickster]

47. The little puppet has decided to cut his strings. Trouble is, when he

does that he will fall into a heap.

The Frank Luntz people change the phrase for a very good reason--"War" means something that you eventually win, something that eventually ends. Obviously, the conservatives don't think that's gonna happen so they had to change the name.

Too bad Bush can't read memos . . .

[Victoria Love]

49. Is it still war?

He is too damn stupid to remember the new advertising jingle: The Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism.

Can you just imagine how he would butcher THAT?

via

www.ChurchoftheFrontPorch.blogspot.com
www.CafePress.com/liberalprogdem

[stevietheman]

50. Shrub is apparently smart enough to...

understand the increasing comparison of his regime to fascists, so using the word "struggle" would translate to "kampf" in Germany, and the European press would pounce on that like there's no tomorrow.

That, and he wants to continue to feel that he has absolute power as a "war preznit".

What a sad, pathetic man he is.

[Oreegone]

55. You do know what the word struggle is in Arabic?

Jihad...good thing he can't pronounce it.

[savemefromdumbya]

56. So Bush declares war on himself

he is terror

[demo dutch]

57. I'm sure he wouldn't be able to remember the new phase, whatever it may be

Stumbling, bumbling idiot that he is.
So there you go!

[No Blood for Hubris]

60. Being a "Struggle President"

just doesn't work for Dirty Bush, I guess. haw haw.

[volitionx]

61. Iraq has nothing to do with a war on "terrorism"...

Iraq is all about global domination, or a Global Corporate Empire, as I call it.

The "War on Terror" is a huge scam, a ruse, a pile of bullshit. 9/11 was the pretext for invading Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the ongoing, phony-ass "War on Terror" is the pretext for nearly EVERY neo-con scam out there.

They try to link our "security" to all sorts of unrelated shit, like the energy bill that just passed. Sure energy relates to security, but not like they say it does.

Anyway...

The "Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism" was chosen for its propaganda value:

1. "Global" implies that we have allies helping the U.S. government, who agree with Bush's plan...

2. "Struggle" seems noble, can last forever, and has no clear end. a "war" is supposed to have an end, but a "struggle" can go on FOREVER, which is exactly what is going to happen. They want people to shut the fuck up and just go shopping, and forget about "winning" a war.

3. "Against" has an obvious meaning.

4. "Violent" is supposed to scare you.

5. "Extremism" is somewhat vague, but people don't like things that are too "extreme", unless they're into base jumping, Mtn. Dew ads, etc. But most people sure as fuck don't like violent extremism, or the idea of it.

But yeah, Bushmaster had to have his "War on Terror" shit to sell to the world. They aren't buying it. Who knows? Maybe he overruled his handlers, or maybe they told him that the GSAVE wasn't testing well.

It's all a fucking scam.