Control of Language

Editorial

I have betimes in this space spoken about the masterful way the American Conservative party has with words, and they way they frame the entire societies' usage of them. Even in debates created by American liberals the language of discourse is chosen by the Conservatives. For instance the Liberals' push back on the misnamed abortion procedure dilation and extraction wasn't to use the proper adult medical term for it, instead they pushed the language all the way to "so-called' partial birth abortion. Political debate, now with %20 more capitulation.

And now, as mentioned in the above linked editorial by the New York Times ombudsman that you didn't bother to read, it's two simple words. Two words used by every international reporter and television anchor thousands of times a week, and indeed by your average politics discussin' citizen dozens of times a day. And yet where they are truly needed to make a story factual? No where to be found. The words of course are:

In Iraq.

The ombudsman uses 'in Mesopotamia' which I'm sure is a more correct translation, but regardless of his wisdom, the accepted nomenclature for the domestic militia wreaking so much havoc in our poor occupied territory was for the first 2 years of its existence: Al Qaeda in Iraq.

What a huge coup for the Administration. After five years the news media is gleefully accomplishing what no fact finding team or military recon task force could: They have forged a link between September 11th and Iraq. They have done so willingly. They have taken up the blithe shorthand of an Administration with the political capital of an ant. Not just the ever repugnant mud slingers over at FOX News, but EVERY media outlet is doing it. The above editorial is from the treasonous liberal rag the New York Times. NPR has been doing it for months after years of carefully spelling it out.

Al Qaeda, the Osama led A-Listers of the terrorist universe, has no relation whatsoever to the IED wielding fanatics shooting their own country in the foot in Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq took the name to swipe some Arab Street cred and declared their admiration of Osama.

So why in the name of all that is holy are they being GIVEN that cred by our very own government?
Because it leaves them with that little bit of support for the Executive Military Excursion that President Bush's base is willing to proffer because terr'ists are scary, and the Bad Guys who attacked New York are fighting us now in Iraq just like President Bush said they would.

So that makes sense. Sad, but it makes sense.

But I know for a fact that the media establishment doesn't have to go along with it.
And I'll be damned if I can think of a good reason to explain why they do.