Those who control the language govern the sphere of debate.

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I came across an interesting “euphemism” if this is the correct word for it. The U.S. Forces in Iraq refer to insurgents as “anti Iraqi forces”. Considering that US soldiers in Iraq have killed far more Iraqis than insurgents have, it seems that US forces are more anti-Iraqi than the insurgents.

Language is not a transparent medium for representing reality, but rather a cultural system that shapes our values and beliefs. As the US certainly has the upper hand in Iraq, we are in a position to write their history in any manner we see fit. The language we use to describe present history in Iraq will influence how present and future generations perceive the US war on Iraq.

Let us please, please hope that the term “anti Iraqi forces” as defined by the US military does not replace “insurgent” in the US media’s reporting of the events in Iraq.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Check out the Iraqi Body Count:
http://www.iraqbodycount.net/Talk about anti Iraqi.
1:44 PM
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