|
September 21, 2003GEORGE ORWELL: POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE--WASHINGTON POST STYLE"...Millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent trudging along the roads with no more than they can carry: this is called transfer of population or rectification of frontiers.People are imprisoned for years without trial, or shot in the back of the neck or sent to die of scurvy in Arctic lumber camps: this is called elimination of unreliable elements. Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without calling up mental pictures of them. Consider for instance some comfortable English professor defending Russian totalitarianism. He cannot say outright, "I believe in killing off your opponents when you can get good results by doing so." Probably, therefore, he will say something like this: "While freely conceding that the Soviet regime exhibits certain features which the humanitarian may be inclined to deplore, we must, I think, agree that a certain curtailment of the right to political opposition is an unavoidable concomitant of transitional periods, and that the rigors which the Russian people have been called upon to undergo have been amply justified in the sphere of concrete achievement." Here is WaPo, in The Language of Terrorism,turning terrorists into “militants” and terrorist organizations into social work institutions: "Why refer to a 'terrorist attack in Tel Aviv' when we can be more informative and precise: 'The bombing of a disco frequented by teenagers in Tel Aviv,' for example…” Apparently calling it a “terrorist bombing” would offend the delicate sensibilities and devotion to higher standards of the WaPo writers. The Merriam Webster definition of “terrorist”: the "systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion" doesn't, in WaPo's view, apply to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They assure us that, yes, Hamas on occasion conducts terrorism "...but also has territorial ambitions, is a nationalist movement and conducts some social work." Yet apparently this finickiness about labeling such organizations and their suicide bombers “terrorists”, does not apply to al Qaeda or its attacks on America. In the Washington Post view, al Qaeda is an exclusively terrorist organization with no aims other than inflicting terror. They seem to have forgotten Sen. Patty Murray’s comment that Osama bin Laden is popular in poor countries because he helped pay for schools, roads and day care centers. Nor do they care to notice that these 'pure' terrorists do have aims beyond terror: they wish to impose Islamic totalitarianism and sharia law on the entire world. Could it be that when Israel is the target of terror different standards apply? Horsefeathers suggests that Michael Getler, author of the WaPo article, devote himself to explaining how unfair it was to 'label' Willie Sutton a 'bankrobber', when he took such good care of his elderly parents. When a suicide bomber detonates himself in the Washington Post newsroom will he be described as a “militant” critic? Posted at 11:00 AM by
 
|
Truly, few things are more sinister than the warping of language to efface, distort, or deny the truth. Orwell's essay is of vital importance to our increasingly muddleheaded times.
"A man who insisted on calling all things by their right names would hardly pass the streets without being knocked down as a common enemy." -- Sir George Savile
"An important art of politicians is to find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the public." -- Charles Talleyrand
"Delusions, errors and lies are like huge, gaudy vessels, the rafters of which are rotten and worm-eaten, and those who embark in them are bound to be shipwrecked." -- Gautama Bodhisattva, also called Buddha
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto on September 21, 2003 12:20 PMI challenge the WAPO's logic 'The bombing of a disco frequented by teenagers in Tel Aviv," sounds to me as if the Palestinian Air Force in a night bombing raid in search of targets of military significance, " accidently bombed and killed young people. "Terrorist bombing" IS much more accurate; it implies premeditated murder of civilians for the purpose of terror. PERIOD.
"But as a rule, strong, descriptive, factual reporting is better than labels."
Oh, yes, labels. Let us avoid nomenclature that might offend the Syrian or Saudi Ambassasdor. If we were living in 1938 with that mentality we would say: "Let's not call Hitler a Fascist (he was OFFICIALLY a member of the Fascist party) or a NAZI or even "Fueher". Let's call him Mr. President, or the leader of the Nationalist faction. Of course, let's take quotes of MEIN KAMPH out of context. Hitler may have been using some excessive rhetoric but that is normal for his culture and we must respect all cultural norms. Only by mutual respect and understanding can we maintain peace and avoid war. Air Force...not let's just say Germany is number one in Air Mail! There is a new vitality and order in Germany, a new efficiency and we cannot let our petty prejudices get in the way of our admiration of Hitler's achievements which any honest person would agree are considerable. No, indeed, name calling will just incite violence and then we will be just as responsible as Mussolini or Herr Hitler. Appeasement you say? No, it is just good diplomacy and common sense. Have you seen the Eagle's Nest what a master piece of German Engineering! Say what you want those Germans are real builders, unemployment is down and we must after all give credit where credit is due. HEIL HITLER!!!"
Michael Getler has got to be a complete naive fool. To Arabs, Iraq, Palestine and Al-Qaida ARE all part of one Jihad against the Crusaders led by the Pope and his stooges Blair and Bush.
Getler says "and Palestinians have been at war for a long time. Palestinians have been resisting a substantial and, to Palestinians, humiliating, Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza since they were seized in the 1967 war."
Oh, he is so wise. If only he ruled the world there would be world peace!
Let's all sing "It's a small world after all!" and dance!
Hey if you want to talk history talk about 1948 and 1956 (and why not 1973)! The Palestinians are not blameless nor are the Arab Nations. They have tried to wipe out the Israelis several times and have gotten hammered. Their long term goal is still the infiltration and destruction of Israel.
If I were an Israeli I would build that fence wherever the terrorism was strongest. And I would feel justified in killing terrorist leaders. There can be no peace nor any autonomy for Palestine as long as their leaders are Islamofascist terrorists like Arafat.
The Palestinian terrorism is provoking a popular response by the Israeli people which might next include the tit-for-tat murders by Israeli extremists of young Palestinian females.
Remember Northern Ireland. The working people responded with their own enforcers and took matters in to their own hands. It is only a matter of time if this continues. The irony is that Israel is like Spain of another age; so beset that they might permanently expell all Palestinians from the region.
Israel paid in blood for the Golan Heights and should NEVER give them back, not if they want to survive. The hatred of the Arab extremists is so great they will never be satisfied until the entire RECONQUEST of Palestine is complete and every Jew is dead. The great fear here is that the fighting will continue to escalate until there is a war of extermination which seems what the Palestinians want. Then they can claim (the do it already) that the Jews are all Nazis. Hey if the Israelis really were Assyrians or Nazis there wouldn't be any Palestinians left within 200 miles of Israel just buried Lidices.
Getler the gutless. A terrorist is not a solider following the Geneva Convention, but an illegal combatant, a murderer, a spy, a fifth columnist, a thug and any culture whose only claim to fame is suicide bombers proves itself to be beyond the pale of civilized humanity. It is legal to execute spies and illegal combatants on the spot under international law if the danger is deemed sufficient.
As I recall most of the Quirin (Nazi terrorists see EX PARTE QUIRIN...FDR was NOT a wimp liberal pacifist but a tough SOB when he had to be) were swiftly tried and executed (except for the informants who got life) and the Nazi spies at the Bulge in '44 wearing AMERICAN UNIFORMS, were summarily executed.
Keep calling for revenge and an eye for an eye but remember to be careful what you ask for you might get it.
The practice of punishment in kind, lex talionis, is brutal and devastating but any people is capable of it if pushed far enough. Every individual and every nation has a right to survive.
The US Marines virtually stopped taking Japanese prisoners in the Pacific due to suicide bombings and fanatical attacks and since the Japanese militarists chose not to follow the Geneva convention the Marines were right to do so.
Unarmed soldiers in the act of surrender may not be killed lawfully but illegal combatants forfeit any benefit of the rule of law or any mercy.
The Marines expected -and demanded- complete disarmament, submission and surrender -including the complete undressing of Japanese POWS or they would shoot to kill or burn out the Japanese pill boxes and caves. Since most of the Japanese soldiers were brainwashed by an ultra fascist Bushido code they refused to surrender and they preferred death to surrender. So they left the Marines with no choice. It was kill or be killed and killing in war like in extremis is not murder it is survival. It is easy to be an arm chair peacenik; just try a few days at Galliopoli or Guadalcanal and see what happens to your pained conscience and your moral philosophy. Either you revert to the mir-cath (battle frenzy) of your ancestors and fight your way out or you are past caring because you are dead or dying the most horrible painful slow death imaginable. The ones whose heads are cut off or blown off are the lucky ones.
That's war. Total war. And if that what the Palestinians want they may get it some day.
Then they will look back to the early days of 2003-2003 as some kind of picnic and lament that Arafat destroyed any chance for nationhood.
Under these circumstances the Israelis should never accede to a Palestinian nation. It would just mean another round later. Another fight to the death.
The whole Palestinian mindset is that however long it takes they will destroy Israel.
Maybe the Israelis need to realize that there can never be peace with Islamofascists and Terrorists until the enemy's will and ability to wage war is completely and utterly destroyed. We must demand unconditional surrender and disarmament of all terrorists or risk suicidal attacks with weapons of mass destruction. Sure let's pretend Al Qaida are "stateless" terrorists criminals. That's what they want. They want Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Iran and Syria to be sanctuaries where they can train, rest up and breed more killers. Keep our troops nearby and our bombers. And let our enemies know if there are no rules then we will play by no rules. Churchill said it best: you must speak to a fanatic who wants to kill you in the only language he understands and that is violence.
No, we should let them know that anyone who gives them money or safe harbor is collaborating and that we will use any weapon at our disposal to destroy the sanctuary of our enemies. Kaddafi is behaving not because he is a great guy but because he is smarter than Saddam. Like Castro and Franco he wants to survive.
Posted by: Ricardo Munro on September 21, 2003 11:43 PMHitler in his writings, both before and after he took power, stated clearly what he thought of the Jews, and what he would do to them, if he had the power to do what he would. Much of the civilized world discounted this as mere rhetoric, stuff for the masses, as surely no major statesman could really be so intemperate.
And so Hitler plunged the world into horrible war, and slaughtered millions of Jews, just as he said he would.
Why is it so hard for us to really believe that evil men will really do what they promise they will do? Saddam. Khomeini. Bin Laden. Arafat. Mullah Omar. It's not like they didn't warn us.
Posted by: Steve Teeter on September 22, 2003 12:18 AMSteve,
We Americans are, by and large, a decent people. We are just too good to believe the worst until forced to do so. This has, historically, been the single greatest cause of our foreign policy failures.
Couple that with our 'genetic' inability to comprehend the degree to which our views of trust and honesty are diametrically opposed to the traditions of deceit and duplicity deeply rooted in eastern cultures and we're always behind the curve.This is to say nothing of the
Posted by: Jon, I.H. on September 22, 2003 02:51 PMattenuated historical memory and short attention span that the socialist control of our educational institutions has exacerbated.
Thanks for this posting and all the comments. They are first rate. Orwellian type language is alive and well at the Washington Post. Incidently you can reach that idiot Getler at 202-234-7582 or e-mail him at ombudsman@washpost.com. Should send him this article and all its comments!
Posted by: David All on September 22, 2003 07:54 PMFrom my earlier email to Stephen:
It's also what makes us so furious, resolute and deadly when we do go to war.
Posted by: Jon, Imperial Hunter on September 23, 2003 11:29 AM"We tried to be nice and you sucker punched us! (Pearl Harbor, 9/11)
Now your going to pay!"
Jeff Cooper writes about how Americans in the Pacific campaigns of WWII
were so outraged and angry with the Japanese that they were implacable in their desire to crush them utterly.
Too bad we have become so PC'd that no one today can stand up and say, as Bull Halsey said of the Japanese,
"Kill terrorists, kill terrorists, kill more terrorists!"
Ricardo Munro:
"If I were an Israeli I would build that fence wherever the terrorism was strongest. And I would feel justified in killing terrorist leaders."
Amen. I would build a skyscraper of a wall entirely around the West Bank and Gaza.
Posted by: Joel on September 24, 2003 12:38 PMYes, what are the Palestinian areas?
Not self-supporting. Just a welfare gang barrio fed by the Europeans and Americans. If somebody pulled the plug maybe they would have to get jobs somewhere and be productive.
Posted by: Ricardo Munro on September 30, 2003 10:31 PMThose whose paths are not the same do not consult one another.
Posted by: Blackman Mark on December 10, 2003 06:56 PMA good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling.
Posted by: Badanes Matt on December 20, 2003 10:27 PM