IRAQ

Slogans of War

The Iraq conflict has given rise to some peculiar turns of phrase. A guide to strategic linguistics—and what it tells about the U.S. military message.

By Rod Nordland | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Dec 3, 2007 | Updated: 5:15 p.m. ET Nov 30, 2007

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Posted By: The_epoch_point @ 05/27/2008 9:12:36 AM

Comment: Wisconsin's unique landmarks once again find themselves in the pages of the latest novel to be presented to readers of history, thrillers and religion in a work that combines all three genres into an adventurous global conspiracy.

The Epoch Point, just released on May 1 and written by Wisconsin native Spencer Zimmerman, is a fictional novel that includes historical facts, certain to intrigue history buffs who are interested in history from the local to the international level, especially as that history thrillingly plays out into what Zimmerman describes as a worldwide "conflict between God and the devil, good and evil."

According to the book's synopsis, the lead character, Robert Davis, is "a young Airman fresh out of Air Force basic training," reflective of Zimmerman's own recent service in the Air Force. "After being held captive in China, (Davis) suddenly finds himself unraveling the most immense conspiracy in history...soon uncovering hidden facts suggesting Russian and Iraqi involvement...discovering the diary of Lee Harvey Oswald...As the clues surface, an evil emerges powerful enough to rewrite the entire history of humanity...before long the conspiracy takes on a supernatural form, marked by [natural disasters] and the wrath of God...Nothing [prepares] (Davis) for the final suspenseful twist the story takes, a da Vinci style revelation that reaffirms his belief in Christ."

The book's chapters are titled after the sixty-six books of the Bible, and the plot progresses as Davis reads through each chapter of the Bible, opening the Bible for the first time in chapter one of The Epoch Point. Each chapter follows a "flashback" style in structure, in which the book's characters experience revelations of historical events and experiences from 4000 B.C. to the present, which allow them to observe how those events contributed to the global conspiracy they are presently confronting. Zimmerman states that the book's events begin on New Year's Eve of 2000, and end on Christmas of 2006.

While writing novels remains at present a hobby for Zimmerman, he already has ideas for a second novel that he anticipates will follow a more scientific fiction path. The Epoch Point is currently available through Amazon.com, and Zimmerman is hoping to get copies of the book into some of Lake Mills's downtown novelty shops.
Posted By: kroggy @ 02/04/2008 2:49:50 PM

Comment: the last but one comment has been removed...why?
Posted By: kroggy @ 01/17/2008 12:46:56 PM

Comment: And at what point was Al Qeada mentioned when the invasion of Iraq took place?
The whole idea was to remove the tyrant Saddam Hussain and his so called elected Government under the banner of ???weapons of mass destruction??? so please get YOUR facts right.

Quote:
" The brothers and sisters, husbands and wives you speak of, are there because they believe it's worth it! "

I'm sorry but when you volunteer to join the forces, YOU are TOLD where you are serving...they don't ask you if you would 'like' to serve at such a place.
And yes I am a former member of the armed forces, and YES I did volunteer to serve my country (UK). However I did not sign up to invade a foreign country under false pretenses, I believe that we should protect our own country first ??? so before you mouth off, can you please tell why you are not over there supporting the cause?

And YES, I feel sorry for all the armed forces out there struggling on a daily basis against terrorist. Our soldiers wear a uniform to enable the opposing soldiers to distinguish between them and civilians ??? that is what happens in wars. The troops in Iraq are not as lucky, the terrorist hide as civilians, even killing their own using bombs and booby traps, this ???war??? is not going to go away for sometime.
Posted By: kroggy @ 12/31/2007 1:55:45 PM

Comment: Ever wondered how we got into this middle eastern mess...Soldiers and civilians killed on a daily basis yet we go on reading the spoils of war in the small columns tucked away in all the international papers - people who are forgotten and all for the sake of weapons of mass destruction ;)

http://www.letmehavemysay.com/view/3/war-in-iraq/

Sorry I don't come across very well in the video blog, but I hate cameras - but you get the idea...our Govts sold us all down the line :(
Posted By: howdy @ 12/15/2007 4:11:52 AM

Comment: The US just needs to get the heck out of Iraq. No one cared one bit when Iraq v Iran was going on and a million people died. The only reason people supposedly care all of a sudden about some dictator or other is because US troops are dying there. The moment the US leaves the death toll will probably spiral out of control, but who cares? No US deaths, no news. TV will go back to the latest OJ or Britney story. Need proof? Whats been the biggest war since WWII? The Congo with 4 million deaths . Ever heard of it? And no Darfur isn't there. Let the Iraqis slaughter each other, they'll sort it out (off camera). Afterwards we will gladly buy their oil
Posted By: ProudVet @ 12/06/2007 1:32:48 PM

Comment: To: proudfreeandpissedAMERICAN - I truly hope that the Iraqis and all others that aspire to true freedom and democracy are able to attain it..... but NOT at my expense. I hate the pitiful civilian leadership that puts our troops in harms way when they were too cowardly to wear the uniform themselves when they had the opportunity, and must be forced by the opposition party to give them proper care when they return wounded. I am a twelve year active duty military veteran.
Posted By: ProudVet @ 12/06/2007 1:28:58 PM

Comment: To proudfreeandpissedAMERICAN - I think the Iraqis should be free to do the things you expouse; but not at my expense! I am a proud veteran (12 yrs active service) who hates seeing the inept and possibly crooked leadership of a civilian leadership that were too cowardly to wear the uniform themselves when given the opportunity.
Posted By: dogman @ 12/06/2007 9:35:39 AM

Comment: We need a war tax to pay for the war, America cannot afford to raise the debt ceiling again, We need a draft to keep the window open, and We need to divide the country in two. If not we need to go to plan B, which is to pull out and stick 500 billion into getting off gas. The only other choice is to break the military be extending those soldiers to 18 or 21 months but the Shiites want their own country and could care less about a united Iraq.
Posted By: proudfreeandpissedAMERICAN @ 12/06/2007 3:52:38 AM

Comment: blaa blaa blaa, god i hate liberal cowards whos only concern is how they're going to get there kids to soccer practice while tyranical leaders are killing their own citizens. By the way, i think that selfish free americans who think that a death toll of less than 3ooo after 6 years of effort to help free anouther countries oppressed is too much to bare need to try and put themselves into their shoes. your girls grow up educated, free to speak their minds, free to vote, free to marry whom they chose, can walk down the street without a male escort without the fear of bieng taken into the street and shot.... i don't think i need to continue, because if your one of those people then in my opinion your not worth the the effort and you are most defanitly not worthy of the blood and sacrifice that was paid for by all of our men and women past and present that have worn a uniform for the U.S military.
Posted By: proudfreeAMERICAN @ 12/06/2007 3:51:14 AM

Comment: blaa blaa blaa, god i hate liberal cowards whos only concern is how they're going to get there kids to soccer practice while tyranical leaders are killing their own citizens. By the way, i think that selfish free americans who think that a death toll of less than 3ooo after 6 years of effort to help free anouther countries oppressed is too much to bare need to try and put themselves into their shoes. your girls grow up educated, free to speak their minds, free to vote, free to marry whom they chose, can walk down the street without a male escort without the fear of bieng taken into the street and shot.... i don't think i need to continue, because if your one of those people then in my opinion your not worth the the effort and you are most defanitly not worthy of the blood and sacrifice that was paid for by all of our men and women past and present that have worn a uniform for the U.S military.
Posted By: robertb689 @ 12/04/2007 11:08:45 PM

Comment: Halfway convinced that "isaidit" is Rod Nordlund engaging in "sock puppetry" letting another side of his cynical personality come out as a sarcastic pseudo-supporter of the administration. Good work, Rod, we get the joke, now get back to work , start by reading "Imperial Grunts" by Robert Kaplan. Real war reporting, real military analysis.
Posted By: becee@msn.com @ 12/04/2007 5:40:21 PM

Comment: I find it very frustrating that the media is now actually believing the propaganda that the "surge" is working. The only number that any American should be focused on is American deaths. As 2007 is the highest death toll, how can anyone find good in that?? Surely the President would be bragging of the success, if the death toll had gone down. Can he have it both ways?? I guess that's the magic of BS. I know i would not send my son to die in Iraq, so how could I support anyone else's??? It seems easy for our President to talk tough with other peoples lives.
- Posted By: t9900 @ 12/04/2007 20:29:52
  
  Comment: You know this is the exact reason why people call us arrogant and ignorant. No American should only be focused on American deaths. I care about other Americans more than non-
  Americans but at least I care about non-Americans at all. Dieing defending another nation's people is as heroic and honorable as, dieing defending your own nations people.
  - Posted By: AlexD @ 12/07/2007 11:26:23
    
    Comment: Actually it isnt an honor because we screwed everything up. On top of that, the civilians and the leaders of the country are definitely not working hard enought to stop the militants from terrorizing thier own land. I hate to say this, I really do, but they are better off defending themselves. We are losing brothers, sisters, husband, wives, and friends every day fighting this ridiculous war. i am not religious at all, But God said that he helps those who help themselves, They are certainltly not willing to help themselves so why should we risk it all....Lets get out of there before its way too late.
    - Posted By: faminchin @ 01/10/2008 01:17:31
      
      Comment: We have an "All Volunteer" force in Iraq! The brothers and sisters, husbands and wives you speak of, are there because they believe it's worth it! All they ask is for your support of the mission, but people like you only provide aid and comfort to the enemy they fight. Your words are like honey to Al Qeada.........all they want is for us to pull out before the mission is accomplished so they can declare victory and become even stronger!
      
      Nobody is asking you to put on a uniform and go to Iraq and fight, so you should enjoy the freedom that these other brave volunteers provide for you and keep your f'ing mouth shut!
Posted By: isaidit @ 12/04/2007 4:41:00 PM

Comment: Well, "Stay the Course" is one slogan we better not ever let slip into oblivion, because this war must be won if our great nation and all the rest of those who enjoy freedom are to survive. These Arab Muslim societies, with all of their emphasis on family and religion, are producing males imbued with an inflated bravado and sense of machimo not seen since the middle ages. They literaaly seem to welcome the systematic savagery and brutality of war and seem to possess no fear of dying in "jihad". There is no room for men like this today, and they are a grave threat to the enlightened, secular world. In the U.S., we live in a post-modern feminist society, and have cast aside the oppressive chains of marriage and religion to encourage gender equality and a generally more woman friendly environment. While we have awesome military technology, we rely on an all volunteer force, lured in by big bonuses and steady pay, and mercenaries. We must show resolve, and finish this decisively, as this effort cannot be sustained indefinitely or closed out prematurely to be reckoned with at a later date. The west cannot coexist with men who would have clashed swords with the crusaders, and in addition to our military effort, we must stay the course with regards to transforming Iraqi society, and others like it, into societies that mirror our own. Through frredom, capitalism, and consumption, these societies will learn to stop placing value on womens' morality and on men. Lost in all the mullahs' rants about the evils of permissive societies and alcohol and pornography is the fact that the enlightened males in these socities don't want to fight anybody. For anything. Ever.
Posted By: kwh13 @ 12/04/2007 11:53:19 AM

Comment: I just get really annoyed when an OP- ED writer calls himself a REPORTER and professes to know anything about what hes talking about. But only half as much as people who have begun to consider OP-ED columns in the same category as REPORTING. I consider this a NEWS article about as much as I would consider Nancy Grace rational. Most OP-ED writers "knowlege of the subject is only PowerPoint deep." Thats one we used to use in Iraq that I didnt see quoted in the column. We used it for any person who professed to be the authority on a subject but hadnt ever really cared enough to go find out the details of the subject.
Posted By: robertb689 @ 12/04/2007 12:41:28 AM

Comment: Slogans and sadness

Rod talks as if journalism itself is not guilty of the same jargon and clich?? talk of which he accuses the military. Not that Rod himself is necessarily guilty of agenda journalism, spin journalism, checkbook journalism, gotcha journalism, or my term for AP and CNN behavior, opine by headline. No, Rod is one of a kind - a curmudgeon war reporter. His proteges, Babak and Silvia Spring, try but can???t match him. Read his article on the surge, and see how many times he mentions pessimism. The cynic as saint and prophet is his motif, you can???t go wrong by saying it???s all falling apart, and even when it???s not, it???s a false lull to tempt idealism to its doom. Seeing as he hangs out in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, he???s bound to have most of his ???dreams??? come true -- ???it just gets worse??? is his mantra. But compare his stuff to real war journalism of Robert Kaplan ???Imperial Grunts??? or Michael Yon or milbloggers, probably the ones he refers to as right-wing ???small minds??? though their thoughts on health care or gays may be the same as his, not to mention the more thorough and balanced sites like (by former CNN chief) Eason Jordan???s ???IraqSlogger???. Not that he doesn???t also engage in the old cliches, as if mainstream media readers weren???t tired of them -- Read again his article ???Surge Draws Down??? and ???No Place like Iraq??? and see that he does somehow always mention ???Mission accomplished???, ???green zone??? (that???s where he should not be if he???s a journalist),??? and ???indigenous insurgents??? (his broad brush that shows he???s not up to playing the 3-D chess, or at least reporting on a 3-D game, huh?)
Posted By: Fatalbert @ 12/03/2007 5:28:40 PM

Comment: Vikn1, where was the negotiation before we went to war, unprepared (listen Rummy's justification for having no armored vehicles for the troops), in an area of the world where they have no idea of how American style democracy operates? Where their frame of reference is a tribal structure, where a unfified country is created only by a dictator either benign or cruel, where the local sheik carries more weight than the person in Baghdad, where there were no WMD? If you believe an American styl democracy is imminent, I have some real estate I would like to show in in FL, or CA, or AZ, or NV or OH, oh wait a minute, our fearless leader allowed free enterprise to run amuck. Maybe now people will see that "innovative" for lending practices makes about as much sense as the other stuff we hear out of Iraq and the military lifers. I spent 6 years in the military so I am very familiar with the 1984ish doublespeak.
Posted By: dano**** @ 12/03/2007 5:23:55 PM

Comment: Typical anti-military article by one of Newsweek's typical anti-military bums. Hide under your desk Mr Nordland until the army makes it safe to come and play again. Fat,soft and Newsweak is no way to go through life...
- Posted By: Fatalbert @ 12/03/2007 17:30:21
  
  Comment: Maybe the truth hurts Bucko.
Posted By: vikn1 @ 12/03/2007 4:55:11 PM

Comment: Posted By: Fatalbert @ 12/03/2007 4:16:42 PM
Comment: When you cannot convince people with facts, you baffle them with the B******t. All the slogans, acronyms, creation of verbs from nouns, and vice versa, doublespeak, and most all else you here is a result of a failed policy. What happened to bringing democracy to Iraq and the world? You hear nothing. Everything was robust for a while and now that has disappeared. It is much easier to disguise the truth with military lingo that come right out with unequivocal statements.

I tink u ned reeducasion there Fat man... I would take negotiation to save lives if the situation took a turn for the worst like it did. Structure is needed now, democracy will follow. Thank You...
Posted By: Fatalbert @ 12/03/2007 4:16:42 PM

Comment: When you cannot convince people with facts, you baffle them with the B******t. All the slogans, acronyms, creation of verbs from nouns, and vice versa, doublespeak, and most all else you here is a result of a failed policy. What happened to bringing democracy to Iraq and the world? You hear nothing. Everything was robust for a while and now that has disappeared. It is much easier to disguise the truth with military lingo that come right out with unequivocal statements.
Posted By: Braes @ 12/03/2007 2:55:27 PM

Comment: Units have been stood-up for ages. We then retire them and case-the-colors, or put the unit flag back in the Museum. A lot of these phrases are very very old. The fact that you didn't learn any of them in clooege is due to deferrment syndrome. That one belongs to me brother... Since the death of the GI bill, warriors in academics are more rare than a spotted owl. Now Bush, who hardly qulaifies as a wordsmith, has repeatedly spewed jargon. I am sure He can not think past a sound byte, and must be in grave straights now that his brain Rove is gone. I am Retired USAF, and always cackled at the new slogan of the month, and Air Force now propaganda flicks.
Posted By: jojoc10 @ 12/03/2007 2:40:44 PM

Comment: I'm assuming this last comment by rangerrick was directed towards me. While I hardly find his/her comments worth a rebuttal, for the sake of discussion I will respond.

Yes I do serve/active duty. I witness first hand the use/misuse of military language everyday which quite frankly is "jargon." (Please look up the definition of this word for future reference). What I suggest is not that these acronyms (doctrine based as you mentioned) are bad unto themselves but that they carry with them a responsibility of the user to fully comprehend the decision and background in each and every deliberate phrase. To that end, I do believe these phrases that are purposely leaked for propaganda purpses (good and bad) are carefully, calculated and created in a manner to describe what a certain Commander's intent may be for either an Operation 'Shock and Awe," or policy. It took an actual "think tank," to think of what Iraqi Freedom were to be called. It was almost Operation Iraqi Liberation and if you spell out the acronym you will understand why that didn't get the nomination.

It seems to me with the technological advances that occur routintely in our military that the fact that we are still using the same language that you used 10 years ago does not bode well for our modern-day military. I thought we were trying to evolve, be more fluid and dynamic?

If I had a nickle for everytime I heard a Commander use words like "synergy," or "streamline" than I would be a wealthy man. Again, I don't think those words are necessarily bad unto themselves, it is however, when they make their way into every sentence of every paragraph that I hear or read that I tend to have a problem with it. In short, I think we can expand our vocabulary outside of language I might argue is as old as our institutions.

When military-like language is spilled and translated for journalists they take and run with it. Media is also to blame for Americans being lost in translation. One example that was created in conjunction with former President Clinton and General Colin Powell "don't ask, don't tell," has been repeated more time by politicians since its inception than others. Still, I doubt half of the people who hear it fully understand what it still means. What's more is that it leaves out an equally important word pursue which is also not mentioned for a lack of responsibility.
Posted By: RangerRick @ 12/03/2007 1:57:55 PM

Comment: Have you served in the military? I know, silly question. This is not just "jargon" or "slogans," most of this is the current military doctrine although some new terms have cropped up in this war. I am a retired Army MAJ and we used the same terms 10 years ago. Seems to me the only reason you are using this is to use someone's words against them to further your own agenda, whatever that may be. You try to make the terminology sound new and imply that there is an acronym and slogan think tank in the Pentagon that does nothing but come up with new and inventive terms to pull the wool over the American citizens...not too ingenious. Although the average citizen may not know or understand military acronyms and terms (understandable), they aren't stupid.
Posted By: RangerRick @ 12/03/2007 1:57:03 PM

Comment: Have you served in the military? I know, silly question. This is not just "jargon" or "slogans," most of this is the current military doctrine although some new terms have cropped up in this war. I am a retired Army MAJ and we used the same terms 10 years ago. Seems to me the only reason you are using this is to use someone's words against them to further your own agenda, whatever that may be. You try to make the terminology sound new and imply that there is an acronym and slogan think tank in the Pentagon that does nothing but come up with new and inventive terms to pull the wool over the American citizens...not too ingenious. Although the average citizen may not know or understand military acronyms and terms (understandable), they aren't stupid.
Posted By: jojoc10 @ 12/03/2007 11:58:02 AM

Comment: The nomenclature used in "military-speak," is clever and well calculated at the higher levels. Somehow though it has worked its way like a virus into every aspect of conversation for most servicemembers. Those who are able to avoid it, be original and not just tout the "party-line," are the refreshingly outside of the box type of thinkers that many Senior Officers tend to favor. Those who merely repeat what they hear without understanding the origins are not only unoriginal but ignorant.

To be collective in war is a good thing. Having everyone on the same page, comprehending the concepts and schemes of manouver is imperative. However, the jargon that gets spilled into the press is a direct reflection of the intent that Senior Leadership is trying to convey and to always put a good slant on an otherwise incomprehensible subject matter. Like most professions, the military is heavy on promotions...whichever General is able to come up with the latest and greatest catch phrase tends to gain momentum in that regard.

These slogans aren't necessarily bad...but they are just that. To define anything in a concise two or three word slogan is doing an injustice to the complexity of modern warfare. These slogans put into the lap of Americans without explanation and open for interpretation is careless.

The military is always marketing itself to its consumer (America)...and in most instances America seems to be buying.

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Posted By: The_epoch_point @ 05/27/2008 9:12:36 AM

Posted By: kroggy @ 02/04/2008 2:49:50 PM

Posted By: kroggy @ 01/17/2008 12:46:56 PM

Posted By: kroggy @ 12/31/2007 1:55:45 PM

Posted By: howdy @ 12/15/2007 4:11:52 AM

Posted By: ProudVet @ 12/06/2007 1:32:48 PM

Posted By: ProudVet @ 12/06/2007 1:28:58 PM

Posted By: dogman @ 12/06/2007 9:35:39 AM

Posted By: proudfreeandpissedAMERICAN @ 12/06/2007 3:52:38 AM

Posted By: proudfreeAMERICAN @ 12/06/2007 3:51:14 AM

Posted By: robertb689 @ 12/04/2007 11:08:45 PM

Posted By: becee@msn.com @ 12/04/2007 5:40:21 PM

Posted By: t9900 @ 12/04/2007 20:29:52

Posted By: AlexD @ 12/07/2007 11:26:23

Posted By: faminchin @ 01/10/2008 01:17:31

Posted By: isaidit @ 12/04/2007 4:41:00 PM

Posted By: kwh13 @ 12/04/2007 11:53:19 AM

Posted By: robertb689 @ 12/04/2007 12:41:28 AM

Posted By: Fatalbert @ 12/03/2007 5:28:40 PM

Posted By: dano**** @ 12/03/2007 5:23:55 PM

Posted By: Fatalbert @ 12/03/2007 17:30:21

Posted By: vikn1 @ 12/03/2007 4:55:11 PM

Posted By: Fatalbert @ 12/03/2007 4:16:42 PM

Posted By: Braes @ 12/03/2007 2:55:27 PM

Posted By: jojoc10 @ 12/03/2007 2:40:44 PM

Posted By: RangerRick @ 12/03/2007 1:57:55 PM

Posted By: RangerRick @ 12/03/2007 1:57:03 PM

Posted By: jojoc10 @ 12/03/2007 11:58:02 AM

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