A war by any other name ("global struggle against violent extremism.")

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-kayyem28jul28,0,1630436.story?track=tottext

A war by any other name
By Juliette Kayyem
Juliette Kayyem, a former member of the National Commission on Terrorism, is a lecturer in public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Her book, "Preserving Liberty in an Age of Terror,"

July 28, 2005

It was President Bush himself who insisted on calling it a global war on terror. He wanted to indicate that this was not just another piddling law enforcement action, but an all-out, full-scale military response to Sept. 11 that would involve U.S. troops around the globe.

"A war between good and evil," he called it. A war "to save the world."

But now, apparently, a decision has been made that the language of war isn't working for him anymore. So in recent days, the "global war on terror" — which had been conveniently shortened to GWOT in bureaucrat-speak — has been shelved in favor of the "global struggle against violent extremism."

Frankly, the Bushies were always conflicted about the word "war." Gen. Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that early on he objected to use of the term because it seemed to dump the problem into the lap of the military. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was said to have objected to the word as well, perhaps, in his case, because it seemed to leave his diplomats over at the State Department on the sidelines. But in the days after Sept. 11, Americans wanted war, and that's what they got.

The idea of a global war on terrorism proved its worth. It got us to Afghanistan (rightfully, in my opinion). It then mysteriously carried us into Iraq to eradicate a terrorist threat that did not exist until we got there. It provided the legal justification for the administration's controversial detention and interrogation policies, and it served as the defense for them after they were uncovered. And in November of last year, it won an election.
<snip>

[moodforaday]

1. "I'm a struggle president!"

Or, as has been pointed in another thread, * is now officially the Jihad president.

[papau]

2. :-) "the Jihad president" - I wonder if US Media will understand?

:-)

[papau]

3. I expect "Global SAVE" or "G-SAVE" to be in all media now!

It is not like our media takes orders from the GOP.

[quisp]

4. or maybe "Gebbus SAVES!" n/t