As John Stewart pointed out recently, the Bush administration has recently (within the past several months) introduced the term “struggle against global extremism” to replace the “war on terror”. As everyone knows, a ‘struggle’ is generally vague, undefinable, and ultimately unwinnable. It also can be expanded easily to include any and all extremisms, to include political and even environmental aspects. This would appear to be a fiendishly clever morphing away from the “war” in order to improve Bush’s approval ratings. War? What war? We’re in a struggle, doncha know. I smell Karl Rove again, who has apparently resumed his rat blood injections. We can’t be rid of these motherfuckers soon enough.
Trivia factoid. “Struggle” is also one of the best translations into English of the Arabic word “Jihad.”
Enjoy,
Steven
Well, aren’t these the same nitwits who started the war because of WMD?
They have no problem changing the parameters to fit their needs.
Funny part is I’m a Reagan republican, ex-Navy, support the concept of freeing Iraq and I despise Bush. (The Republicans have abandoned me and I can’t stand the liberal side of the Dem’s. Voting for Kerry hurt!!!))
I feel they lied and created fake evidence to support effort.
I think Cheney is biggest crook in my lifetime, seems like he’s got Agnew beat.
They ignored advise of the only military expert in cabinet. (Powell)
Oh, and didn’t it look so much like Bush Jr. was desperate to complete Sr. mistake?
I wonder what the Guantanamo detainees and others being held until the “war” is over think of this.
Meh. The term just seems a reflection of reality to me. Haven’t we been dealing with Islamic terrorism for decades, and wouldn’t a sane observer conclude that we’d struggle with it for at least some more decades yet?
I predicted on these boards after 9/11 that we’d essentially be in another Cold War here, except this time with a different enemy. I didn’t see any serious opposition to this viewpoint at the time.
Perhaps George could write a book entitled “My struggle”?
Some of those guys aren’t getting out of that prison alive, and rightly so.
Wonder how many who die in there will actually deserve it. But they don’t matter, apparently. Fuck 'em and fuck justice, right, Moto?
It’s just the latest in the never ending spin cycle. If the facts are “incovenient” well just change the facts. New buzz phrases and slogans. New denials, coupled with some blatant twisting of reality. If there is a “struggle against global extremism” I have to wonder which side WE are on. With the new phrase, I also wonder how long we will be doing whatever the hell we are doing. I’m still waiting to see all the stuff that “we know they have them and we know where they are” supposedly started the Iraq adventure. So now it isn’t a war (which has a start and an end, clear objectives, and USUALLY has a reason). Now it’s an open ended “struggle” with no end or goal or strategy except to keep doing the same old thing (whether it works or not).
jrfranchi, I share your pain (ex Republican also, and former Army here).
I wonder when Bush will start working on his memoirs. Probably will title the book My Struggle (English for Mein Kampf)
Shall we put you down on the list of people who approve of indefinite detainment with no charges, torture, rape and murder then? Is that a yes for the block on the questionnaire that asks “do you support war crimes”?
Wouldn’t they be struggle crimes?
Maybe, I guess that makes these crimes less serious then. Curious. Moto was all excited about some Air America nonsense, making accusations and demanding “swift justice” but here, where there is really some serious shit going down, he doesn’t care. Here, everyone “we” are holding is guilty and should die. Pretty fucking disgusting isn’t it.
Hardly.
The Supreme Court has ruled that military tribunals may proceed in the cases of the Guantanamo prisoners. I am happy that this has come to pass, and that their culpability in their crimes and their sentence may be finally determined.
I don’t support war crimes. Therefore, I’d like war criminals to be dealt with with some finality, just as Herbert Haupt, Edward Kerling, Herman Neubauer, Richard Quirin and Werner Thiel were.
That almost made spew white wine on my monitor (it’s Friday afternoon here at work, and we’re allowed wine and/or beer after 4:30).
Should he write this before or after the beer garden putsch? 
Please note that “never leaving Gitmo alive” can be a result of either never getting a trial OR getting a life/death sentence.
Enjoy,
Steven
Since the definition of a cold war is essentially “A state of rivalry and tension between two factions, groups, or individuals that stops short of open, violent confrontation”, I fail to see how the present situation falls into that category.
Do you seriously contend that the current occupant of the White House is merely trying to be grammatically correct, and that there is no ulterior motive? If so, you are seriously deluded, my friend. The fact that the term accurately reflects what is going on bears no relationship to the political machinations that have motivated its creation. The the assumption of American stupidity by Bushco is breathtaking in its arrogance.
Hmmm…a beer garden putsch by the Rose Garden putz.
Another trivia factoid: it’s Jon Stewart.
I think he was using cold war in a different way: I took it to mean a long drawn out struggle with any hopes for victory far off in the future.
I would then add, with hundreads of really stupid mistakes made along the way.
My number one nightmare. Jeb Bush in 2008. After all they generally acknowledge he’s the “dumb one”.
The “War” on terror is now a struggle. How about our other stupid “War”. Can we change to the “Struggle against illegal Drugs” and if we do, can we then be a little more rational about it?
Look, shithead, make up your fucking mind. In the other thread, you asked me to save my outrage for things that really matter. Here, you seem to think my outrage is misdirected, but you can’t say the subject isn’t important.
You don’t like me, it’s clear. But if you must attack me, be consistent. Don’t just grab whatever rhetorical arrow happens to be in your quiver at the moment.