In George
Orwell’s novel Nineteen
Eighty-Four, the government had three slogans emblazoned
on The Ministry of Truth building: war is peace, freedom is slavery,
ignorance is strength. True, the dystopian society depicted by
Orwell existed only in his mind. Yet, the doublespeak that existed
in that made-up society has increasingly been adopted by governments
– our government.
It is a tragic
thing that the U.S. government employs doublespeak to deceive
the American people; it is even more tragic that most Americans
accept government doublespeak as the gospel truth.
There is
no greater instance of government doublespeak than when it comes
to the military. Here are some examples:
Serving
in the military: getting money for college from the taxpayers.
Deploying
to Iraq or Afghanistan: occupying a sovereign country.
The global
war on terrorism: a cash machine for privileged government contractors.
Conscription:
slavery.
Stop-loss
policy: backdoor draft.
Dress
blues: government-issued costume.
Troop
surge: escalation of a war we are losing.
Flying
sorties: bombing civilians and their property.
Stationed
overseas: helping to maintain the U.S. global empire of troops
and bases.
Enhanced
interrogation techniques: torture by the United States.
Extraordinary
rendition: U.S. sanctioned torture by other countries.
Fighting
terrorism: making terrorists.
Fighting
our enemies: making more enemies.
Defending
our freedoms: destroying our freedoms.
Insurgents:
foreigners who resent having their country invaded or occupied.
Sanctions:
killing children without bombs and bullets.
Military
chaplain: trying to serve two masters.
Military
appreciation service: idolatry.
Praying
"God bless our troops": blasphemy.
Supporting
the troops: supporting foreign invasions and occupations.
Precision
bombing: civilian killer.
Cluster
bomb: child civilian killer.
Land mine:
American IED.
Terrorist:
someone who plants a bomb that doesn’t wear an Air Force uniform.
Enemies
of the United States: countries that oppose U.S. hegemony.
Enemy
combatant: someone turned over to U.S. troops in Afghanistan
by someone eager to collect a bounty.
Axis of
evil: countries with oppressive governments that our oppressive
government doesn’t like.
Allies:
countries with oppressive governments that our oppressive government
likes.
Anti-Semite:
someone who opposes U.S. military intervention in the Middle
East.
Military
recruiter: pimp for duped young men who want to sell their services
to the government.
Bomber
pilot: long-distance killer.
Persistent
conflict: perpetual warfare.
U.S. interests:
an excuse to police the world.
U.S. foreign
policy: imperialism.
National
security: national police state.
Collateral
damage: the slaughter of unarmed civilians by American bullets
and bombs.
Die for
our freedoms: die for a lie.
War hawk:
warmonger.
Regime
change: meddling in the affairs of other countries.
Congressional
supporters of large military budgets: pimps to hook up government
and defense contractors.
Military
spokesman: military propagandist.
Commander
in chief: the chief war criminal.
I’m sure
there are other words and terms that have been or will be devised
or brought to bear to justify the actions of the U.S. military.
Reject them, and denounce them for what they are: military doublespeak.
