# Why does the use of "homeland" bother me so much? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 17, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132 "2007-07-17T14:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/1 "2007-07-17T14:50:19Z")
From a [new National Intelligence Estimate](http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070717/NEWS07/70717013): > [@](#): > > “Of note,” the analysts said, “we assess that al Qaeda will probably seek to leverage the contacts and capabilities of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), its most visible and capable affiliate and the only one known to have expressed a desire to attack **the homeland**.” Why say “homeland”? Why not refer to the US as “the US”? And why does this bother me so much? Is it the not-so-subtle fascistic undertones of “homeland”? The “us against the world” mindset that it seems to engender? What is it? Why do I mentally cringe when I hear this word? Help me out here. I want to rant, but I’m not sure _why_ this bothers me so much. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/2 "2007-07-17T14:51:20Z")
Homeland certainly sounds ethnocentric to me. In an immigrant country, a lot of us don’t consider the US to be our homeland or at least not our only homeland. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/3 "2007-07-17T15:02:49Z")
Because “Committee for State Security” was already spoken for. ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/4 "2007-07-17T15:04:09Z")
The term “homeland” is creepily similar to “fatherland”. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/5 "2007-07-17T15:12:56Z")
[QUOTE=usar\_jag] The term “homeland” is creepily similar to “fatherland”. [/QUOTE] And “motherland”, but PC enough to be non-sexist. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/6 "2007-07-17T15:16:20Z")
It bothers me because it was coined by usurpers and tyrants. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/7 "2007-07-17T15:18:55Z")
What’ll happen when America goes away to college? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/8 "2007-07-17T15:24:02Z")
[QUOTE=usar\_jag] The term “homeland” is creepily similar to “fatherland”. [/QUOTE] What I come in to say. Then there’s reference to Homeland in the less offensive _Edelweiss_ from _The Sound of Music_. Overtones of Nazi Germany, more precisely. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/9 "2007-07-17T15:25:32Z")
Theres a woman on CNN right now giving a press conference about this new report. Every other fucking word out of her mouth is “Homeland”. I was on my way to start a pit thread about it when I saw this one. It’s a horrible word to introduce into modern political dialogue. I can’t wait until this shitty administration is out of power. Hopefully this fearmongering power trip they call foreign policy will change and the word will be phased out. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/10 "2007-07-17T15:31:15Z")
I sincerely hope that one of the first orders of business for the next administration will be to change the name of “Homeland Security.” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/11 "2007-07-17T15:34:58Z")
And I hope she eliminates it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/12 "2007-07-17T15:41:15Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] I sincerely hope that one of the first orders of business for the next administration will be to change the name of “Homeland Security.” [/QUOTE] Perhaps to something like: _Abteilung der Heimatland-Sicherheit_? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/13 "2007-07-17T15:42:13Z")
[QUOTE=CynicalGabe] .It’s a horrible word to introduce into modern political dialogue. I can’t wait until this shitty administration is out of power. Hopefully this fearmongering power trip they call foreign policy will change and the word will be phased out. [/QUOTE] I agree. I think they came up with the word to instill a sense of “us vs. them” mentality. Homeland has the word “home” in it and how dare “they” attack or threaten “us” in our own homes! Bunch a crap people just seem to eat up. And how very timely when the Dems are pushing for troop withdrawl and gathering momentum that the “National Intelligence” should just happen to come out with a report about how Al-Qaida has regrouped and is planning new attacks real, real soon. I ain’t buying it. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/14 "2007-07-17T15:55:10Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] What I come in to say. Then there’s reference to Homeland in the less offensive _Edelweiss_ from _The Sound of Music_. Overtones of Nazi Germany, more precisely. [/QUOTE] It’s always made me think of Nazis as well. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/15 "2007-07-17T15:57:47Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] And how very timely when the Dems are pushing for troop withdrawl and gathering momentum that the “National Intelligence” should just happen to come out with a report about how Al-Qaida has regrouped and is planning new attacks real, real soon. I ain’t buying it. [/QUOTE] Well, the report talked about al Qaeda regrouping in Pakistan, not Iraq, so why are you not buying it? This is really nothing new, as reports of al Qaeda consolidating things in North Waziristan have been coming out for quite some time from any number of sources. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/16 "2007-07-17T16:00:00Z")
Start your own thread, **John Mace**. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/17 "2007-07-17T16:00:42Z")
What about Hampshire? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/18 "2007-07-17T16:01:16Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Start your own thread, **John Mace**. [/QUOTE] You misspelled **Hampshire**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/19 "2007-07-17T16:04:38Z")
Not my fault. My “John Mace” key sticks. Especially in political threads, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132/20 "2007-07-17T16:09:30Z")
It has always creeped me out. Sounds like it should be headed by the Reichmaster or something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-use-of-homeland-bother-me-so-much/412132.md?page=2)