So here's good news on the Global War on Terror – it's officially over.
Well, at least the use of that phrase is.
The Pentagon has "codified" it, which has nothing to do with cod, but still smells fishy. According to the Washington Post, the phrase is being put out to pasture, to be replaced by something called an "Overseas Contigency Operation,." Now, I have no idea what that means, but then again I'm still wearing shoes with Velcro snaps.
But look, it's not difficult to see where this new language is coming from: it's pure civil servant speak designed to take the meaning out of what clearly is the most important battle in our lifetimes. The sad fact is, ever since the rise of deconstructionist thinking in academia, every Ivy League graduate knows that the concept of "good vs. evil" is infantile, and the concept of terror is "relative." There is no difference between our war, and their war – even though we don't fly planes into buildings, or wear vests packed with things that look like roman candles (but aren't). We're just as bad as terrorists, because we're big and powerful – even if we don't behead people who disagree with us.
But look, I don't care about words. What I do care about is commitment. Whether it's a "war" or a "contingency operation," it's never going to be over. It's a battle fought each and every day by brave men and women all over the world. And a change in language is not going to make their work any easier.
But at least there will be a new logo for the coffee mugs.
