Yesyesyesyesyes. I’m so sick of hearing about “3 troops are missing” “27 troops were injured” “1325345 troops are going to get fucked on leave time again” every time I run across the news. Troop is defined as a group of soldiers. GROUP. Not individuals.
Maybe I should just go by the major networks and slap their talking heads/copy writers with a dictionary. That might make me feel better.
Liberal, you lazy thing! People is two syllables long and is so cold. Men and women adds only two more syllables – hardly a mouthful – and paints a clearer image in the mind.
But I agree with you that politicians and commentators have begun to run the words together. So I suggest a change that will slow them down for a little while. How about women and men?
There! I was able to solve the problem and utilize the “ladies first” tradition at the same time! 
I had a co-worker describe helping a client as “efforting the resolution.”
It’s a wonder my head didn’t explode.
“Male” and “Female” is judgemental.
I propose “Masculine” and “Feminine.”
Or just “Yang” and “Yin.”
This MUST be a whoosh.
I’m just happy that they remember there are women in the armed forces.
Well, I have been facilitated, and I have to say, it wasn’t all that much help.
Tris
Wel, I’ve been manipulated, digitally manipulated, but it seemed about as analog as you can get.
Same goes for “Task Force”: Sergeant Fury And His Howling Commandos are a Task Force; what you are on is called a committee.
Except to me, “soldiers” connotates the grunts with guns and camo on the field. The communications guys, the supply staff, the doctors, the mechanics… They don’t count as “soldiers” in my mind.
Which is probably horribly ignorant of me, and offensive to those folks out there who supply the “real” soldiers with everything they need, but that’s my automatic notion.
Well, an army marches on its communications guys… or something.
How the fuck is it PC?
I was under the impression that folks in the maritime uniformed services have always been called sailors,soldier[INDENT]1. One who serves in an army.
2. An enlisted person or a noncommissioned officer.sailor1. One who serves in a navy or works on a ship.
2. a seaman below the rank of officer.marine1. A soldier serving on a ship or at a naval installation.
2. Marine A member of the U.S. Marine Corps.[/INDENT]and calling a Marine anything other than marine often results in pain :smack: .
CMC fnord!
The way the 2008 campaign is already rolling, it’ll be no time at all before it’s wimmenuhmen.
I propose a much less ambiguous system.
**Women, non-women and others in uniform. **
“Men and women” and “Women and men” are both subhumanly callous in their exclusion of the intersexed. Who even *hears * about the valiant efforts of hermaphrodites in Iraq?
Ouch! That can’t be pleasant for the communications guys. :eek:
I note, though, that the definition of “marine” states it is merely a variety of “soldier.” I think it fair to include marines under the umbrella term of “soldier.” What if rangers and other specialized units also insisted on such linguistic exclusivity? The list would become burdensome. “Soldiers and sailors” is my limit.
It’s the impersonal sound of many of these terms that bothers me. When 12 American sons and daughters were fatally torn apart, and 23 more sons and daughters were permanently maimed or brain-damaged, some sharp-dressed TV anchor tells us that 12 US troops died and 23 more were wounded in a car bomb attack. They are more than just cannon fodder or toy soldiers. They’re your neighbors, or your neighbor’s kids. Maybe, they’re your kids. Call them sons and daughters.
By the way, doesn’t the military call a spade an entrenching tool? 
Thank you.
Shit, I include a wink and a Jean-Luc Picard quote and people still get whooshed? Untwist, panties, untwist!!!
But “women” is a sexist term, because the word, along with “woman,” by its very construction, implies that women are a subset of “men.”
Trouble is, “womyn” is retarded.
So how about “our fine young ballhangers and uterus containers in uniform”?