# Why don't military operations have cryptic names any more? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 24, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025 "2006-05-24T13:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025/21 "2006-05-25T15:00:06Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Cite? The Iraq war and it’s aftermath come to mind. > [@What Exit?](#): > > Why? Neither had much ability to stop our Air Force and North Korea could be blasted by the Navy. We can’t conquer them without a ground war, and Iran hasn’t been weakened to a shadow by years of sanctions following losing a war. Iran is also much larger. NK has a large amount of artillery near the border, and can kill lots of troops and civilians, no matter what the Navy does. > [@What Exit?](#): > > Of course not, we couldn’t even conquer Iraq or Afghanistan with ease. So what is your point. We thought we could, that’s why we attacked them. > [@What Exit?](#): > > ]Okay, I am hawkish and ex-Navy. So I stand guilty in your eyes. But how about some of my friends who protested the war from Day 1. Why are you calling them bullies and cowards and predators. How about the Millions who voted against Bush? Including me the Hawk. > > You don’t get your point across by making huge sweeping generalizations. > By the way, I see you are in California. Is that California, USA? If so this make you a bully, coward or predator. > Are you? > [@What Exit?](#): > > Why don’t you invest in some new brushes that aren’t so broad. I recommend some fine art brushes like Potrait Artist use. I’m afraid I don’t have the time to address each and every one of the 300 or so million American individually. That’s the point of don’t-use-a-broad-brush arguments like yours, of course; it makes it rather difficult to criticize any large organization, and helps support the “just a few bad apples” excuse. I didn’t answer your questions because I was tired, about to go to sleep, and you weren’t putting words in my mouth and therefore didn’t require immediete refutation. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025/22 "2006-05-25T15:22:47Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > The Iraq war and it’s aftermath come to mind. > > We can’t conquer them without a ground war, and Iran hasn’t been weakened to a shadow by years of sanctions following losing a war. Iran is also much larger. > > NK has a large amount of artillery near the border, and can kill lots of troops and civilians, no matter what the Navy does. > > We thought we could, that’s why we attacked them. > > I’m afraid I don’t have the time to address each and every one of the 300 or so million American individually. That’s the point of don’t-use-a-broad-brush arguments like yours, of course; it makes it rather difficult to criticize any large organization, and helps support the “just a few bad apples” excuse. > > I didn’t answer your questions because I was tired, about to go to sleep, and you weren’t putting words in my mouth and therefore didn’t require immediete refutation. Can I strongly suggest you turn it down a few notches. Even a phrase like, “This Administration and all of it supporters …” Might at least let people take your statement seriously. When you blast every resident of the US or any other country at once, you lose most of the people you are talking to. Going back to you original post in this thread. If you had kept it to. > [@](#): > > America these days doesn’t go after dangerous enemies; we go after helpless victims. many people would have either agreed with you or at least seen some merit in your opinion. When you added: > [@](#): > > It doesn’t matter if they know what we intend, because they can’t seriously fight back. If they could, we wouldn’t attack them. and then > [@](#): > > Because they can fight back, and America is a nation of bullies and cowards and predators. You lose the ability to be treated seriously. Do you really believe every American is a bully, if not try to find a way to express yourself better. As I said, I think the Iraq war had little to do with the fight against terror and everything to do with other issues that concerned the current administration and the Presidents Father. If it was a fight against terror, we would have followed up Afghanistan with Syria and maybe Iran. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025/23 "2006-05-25T15:40:18Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > Because they can fight back, and America is a nation of bullies and cowards and predators. So…when are you moving out, you bully, you coward? I’ll be happy to pack your suitcase for you. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025/24 "2006-05-25T15:46:08Z")
Oops, sent too soon. I meant to add, thank you for completely de-railing a potentially interesting thread. The OP probably should’ve been made in GQ where we could metaphorically sit around our little table and discuss (or, in my case, listen) twiddly little issues. However, Der Trihs, you walked up to our table, hopped up and dropped your pants and shat on the tablecloth. Thank you for dragging your hateful attitude in to the room and dropping it like a mud log on our laps. Honestly. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025/25 "2006-05-25T15:59:24Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > America is an evil country because it does evil things. The “provincial” people are the ones who don’t think America is doing evil, because they consider no one outside the borders of America to be human. We can bomb them, rape them, torture them, molest their children; it’s not evil, because we put less value on foreigners than we do American house pets. It is so fascinting to me that you apparently continue to live in America, despite these horrendous flaws that you see. Is there a reason that you are still here? Is there a country you would prefer, that is not full of evil torturers, rapists, and child molesters? And why is it that you haven’t moved to it, wherever it might be? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025/26 "2006-05-25T16:17:56Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > So…when are you moving out, you bully, you coward? I’ll be happy to pack your suitcase for you. …PASTED… > I meant to add, thank you for completely de-railing a potentially interesting thread. The OP probably should’ve been made in GQ where we could metaphorically sit around our little table and discuss (or, in my case, listen) twiddly little issues. > However, Der Trihs, you walked up to our table, hopped up and dropped your pants and shat on the tablecloth. Thank you for dragging your hateful attitude in to the room and dropping it like a mud log on our laps. > Honestly. Do you really think the “Love it or Leave” post has any merit? Now Der Trihs can ignore the real debate going on and focus on yours. As far as the Hijack, though Der Trihs started it, myself and many other took up the new debate. For that I apologize. Jim [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-military-operations-have-cryptic-names-any-more/358025.md?page=1)