War on Terror No More

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  • toasty
    Sir Toastiness
    • Jun 2004
    • 6585

    War on Terror No More

    Evidently, the verbiage is being changed now to more accurately reflect the nature of the conflict to "a global struggle against violent extremism." Check it out:



    Of note:

    U.S. Officials Retool Slogan for Terror War


    By ERIC SCHMITT and THOM SHANKER
    Published: July 26, 2005

    WASHINGTON, July 25 - The Bush administration is retooling its slogan for the fight against Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, pushing the idea that the long-term struggle is as much an ideological battle as a military mission, senior administration and military officials said Monday.

    In recent speeches and news conferences, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the nation's senior military officer have spoken of "a global struggle against violent extremism" rather than "the global war on terror," which had been the catchphrase of choice. Administration officials say that phrase may have outlived its usefulness, because it focused attention solely, and incorrectly, on the military campaign.

    Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the National Press Club on Monday that he had "objected to the use of the term 'war on terrorism' before, because if you call it a war, then you think of people in uniform as being the solution." He said the threat instead should be defined as violent extremists, with the recognition that "terror is the method they use."

    Although the military is heavily engaged in the mission now, he said, future efforts require "all instruments of our national power, all instruments of the international communities' national power." The solution is "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military," he concluded.
    No shit. Good thing we've ostracized (sp?) ourselves from most of our allies, huh?

  • neoee
    Platinum Poster
    • Jun 2004
    • 1266

    #2
    Seems like changing it now would downplay their accomplishments. "War on terror" makes it seem like it is winnable. Changing it to "struggle" makes it seem as it could possibly go on forever. Though it should have been named it in the first place changing it now, to me, is a mistake.
    "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." -Benjamin Franklin

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    • toasty
      Sir Toastiness
      • Jun 2004
      • 6585

      #3
      ^^you're probably right. changing it now does kinda make us appear weak. I wish Bush and his pals would spend as much time concentrating on actually winning the "war," "struggle," or whatever it is as they do on coming up with new ways to spin it...

      Comment

      • MJDub
        Are you Kidding me??
        • Jun 2004
        • 2765

        #4
        Get these fuckers out of office.
        http://www.myspace.com/mjdubmusic

        You can't have manslaughter without laughter.

        "Son," he said without preamble, "never trust a man who doesn't drink because he's probably a self-righteous sort, a man who thinks he knows right from wrong all the time. Some of them are good men, but in the name of goodness, they cause most of the suffering in the world. They're the judges, the meddlers. And, son, never trust a man who drinks but refuses to get drunk. They're usually afraid of something deep down inside, either that they're a coward or a fool or mean and violent. You can't trust a man who's afraid of himself. But sometimes, son, you can trust a man who occasionally kneels before a toilet. The chances are that he is learning something about humility and his natural human foolishness, about how to survive himself. It's damned hard for a man to take himself too seriously when he's heaving his guts into a dirty toilet bowl."

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        • eye-p
          Getting Somewhere
          • May 2005
          • 101

          #5
          Re: War on Terror No More

          Has no one noticed that the word struggle translates to Jihad?

          These PNAC'ers want eternal war/struggle. It is essential to their staying in power.

          Another angle might be that being involved in a struggle rather than a war, may release the Bush administration from War Crimes culpability.
          Peak Oil

          Comment

          • superdave
            Platinum Poster
            • Jun 2004
            • 1366

            #6
            Re: War on Terror No More

            The Daily show was talking about this last night. I agree that the Struggle sounds more long term than war. My thinking is that if we were having success in this struggle or war then there wouldn't be a need for a name change.
            Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake - Napoleon Bonaparte

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