Whether it is because of Barack Obama, or not, I don't care. I'm just happy to see the very Bushwellian-sounding "War on Terror" (much like the "War on Drugs") fading away into obscurity. It's always been one of my pet peeves since Bush drilled it into the public lexicon back in 2001:
WASHINGTON – The "War on Terror" is losing the war of words.
The catchphrase burned into the American lexicon hours after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is fading away, slowly if not deliberately being replaced by a new administration bent on repairing the U.S. image among Muslim nations.
Since taking office less than two weeks ago, President Barack Obama has talked broadly of the "enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism." Another time it was an "ongoing struggle."
He has pledged to "go after" extremists and "win this fight." There even was an oblique reference to a "twilight struggle" as the U.S. relentlessly pursues those who threaten the country.
But only once since his Jan. 20 inauguration has Obama publicly strung those three words together into the explosive phrase that coalesced the country during its most terrifying time and eventually came to define the Bush administration.
It's certainly a start, and a change I'm glad to see. Yes, words do matter, and it's long since been time that we started fighting smarter, not harder, with our choice of words to indentify and address our problems and issues. It's good to be treated like adults, again, instead of given childish slogans, if even only on this issue.
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He, essentially, led off that inauguration with
"Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred."
http://www.correntewire.com/obamas_awful...
And to argue that one can "win" a fight against terrorism in general is not much of a common-sense upgrade, either.
Though he's savvy enough to leave the old branding aside, it seems he's still reading from the old playbook.
If Obama wants to repair our reputation
he could start here, for example.
If we want the U.S. to be seen as a force for good, we could start by applying that principle throughout our foreign policy. Even-handedness and disentanglement: a two-pronged key to restoring America to a position of worthy leadership in the global community, but I don't expect it to be used.
I agree
Not a huge upgrade, because he's certainly still on the "defeating terrorism" kick, in general, but I love that I don't have to hear "Axis of Evil" and "War on Terrorism" from my president, anymore. Maybe this is only 2% less evil, but as someone that listens closely to words and how they are used, it's a notable and positive change. Not nearly enough, but enough to be worthy of note.
Like most of the rest of the world, we need to start treating those that use terrorists as international criminals instead of the whole "good vs. evil" moral battle argument that American used over the last eight years. Maybe, this is the start of that.
Hope, but verify.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Obama will be judged by his actions, not just his words, in the
Middle East and Muslim world.
Perhaps the US is holding back on pressuring Israel to allow aid to enter Gaza until after the elections in mid-Feb, trying to not push voters toward Netanyahu. But I have no idea.
Getting Israel to allow the water purification equipment offered by France to Gaza would be a good start (Israel refused entry for it this week). But, for whatever reason, the US government was against water purification for Iraq and wouldn't allow necessary equipment and chemicals into the nation, which resulted in 1000's of deaths, especially of children. Something about some of the chemicals could be used for chem weapons?
Our actions make pressure on Israel a bit hypocritical, but supposedly Obama would break that vicious circle. Please let him do so, ASAP.
Yes, words and deeds
But, it's certainly a change from a president whose words and deeds set us back years/decades. We need both. I'm still skeptical, but I'm glad that the needle is moving away from simplistic and immature redmeat rhetoric on this particular issue.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...