Newspeak

[Jeff Bone]

On Wednesday, Apr 9, 2003, at 15:31 US/Central, Gregory Alan Bolcer 
wrote:

>  I think it all goes back to the
> efficiency versus effectiveness arguement.
> Terror is effective, shock & awe is efficient.

Don't you have that backwards?  I'm not sure how you could consider 
dumping $1B worth of high-tech ordinance on somebody "efficient" by any 
definition, regardless of effect, particularly when compared to a small 
number of guys armed only with box cutters taking down America for most 
of a week.  I'm sorry, but dropping the Twin Towers was "shocking" and 
"awesome."  Taking out a few leadership targets with some high-tech 
destructo-gadgetry amidst tank-plinking as usual, not so much.  
(OB_FACT:  less than 7% of the precision-guided bombs dropped so far 
has been dropped on leadership targets;  the bulk has been taking out 
Iraqi armor and infantry divisions.  Source:  Rush Limbaugh, Monday 
4/7.  Know thy enemy.)

But then, I'm also very confused about the tendency to refer to those 
guys with box cutters and suicide bombers as "cowards" while we refer 
to the guys that load launch tubes on boats 200m out at sea or drop 
bombs from above-AA altitudes "courageous."

Newspeak:  it's opposite day.  Problem:  it obscures understanding of 
the situation --- but then, that's by design.

jb