The War on Terror Gets a Makeover

NY Times:

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.

Was it technically the phrase that focused attention solely, and incorrectly, on the military campaign, or was it the mofos who have busily been doing exactly what they’re now accusing the phrase of doing? In fact, frankly, I give the phrase more credit; at least it focuses on terror, whereas said mofos are fighting a war in Iraq that was, at its inception anyway, totally unrelated to terror—unless you count creating terrorists.

Anyway, now that the administration is going to be engaging in a “global struggle against violent extremism,” I figure they’ll finally start paying attention to the signs that violent extremism seems poised to explode any moment now right here in the good old US of A. I know it’s a global struggle and all, but there’s no better place to start saving the world than your own backyard.


(BTW, wingnuts—words ending in Y are pluralized by changing the Y to an IE and then adding an S. Ergo, “rally” becomes “rallies.” Just a helpful hint from your friendly neighborhood prey.)

(Hat tip CommonSenseDesk.)