War Games to Word Games

‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’ in other words,’a rose is a rose is a rose’ and terror by any other word is still being waged in a dangerous world.

Quoted by the NY Time,  Shannen W. Coffin, who served as counsel to former Vice President Dick Cheney said,

“They seem more interested in the war on the English language than in what might be thought of as more pressing national security matters. An Orwellian euphemism or two will not change the fact that bad people want to kill us and destroy us as a free people.” (my emphasis)

The NY Times Peter Baker says,

“The White House dismisses such criticism, saying the president is not focused on wordsmithing national policy.

Still, the degree to which the Obama team seems intent on distancing itself from any language associated with Mr. Bush has drawn ridicule even from the left. On “The Daily Show” on Tuesday night, Jon Stewart vigorously mocked the Obama administration after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said “the administration has stopped using the phrase” war on terror.

Mr. Stewart showed repeated clips of Mr. Obama’s budget director, Peter R. Orszag, referring instead to “overseas contingency operations.”

Summoning one of the most memorable moments of the Bush presidency, Mr. Stewart then showed a mocked up photograph of Mr. Obama in a pilot’s flight suit on the deck of an aircraft carrier under a banner proclaiming, “Redefinition Accomplished.”

When truth is masked, redefinition by any other name still stinks!