When Is a War Not a War?

25 Mar, 2011 by Dave Blount

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Thankfully our leaders have clarified what they are up to in Libya. It isn’t a third simultaneous war, launched on behalf of people who are probably our enemies at a time when the economy is already staggering from excessive government spending. It’s a “kinetic military action“:

In the last few days, Obama administration officials have frequently faced the question: Is the fighting in Libya a war? From military officers to White House spokesmen up to the president himself, the answer is no. But that leaves the question: What is it?

In a briefing on board Air Force One Wednesday, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes took a crack at an answer. “I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis, and setting up a no-fly zone,” Rhodes said. “Obviously that involves kinetic military action, particularly on the front end.”

Already the new buzzword is gaining traction, as others scurry to break it in like pigeons zeroing in on a dropped sandwich.

This latest addition to the Newspeak dictionary could have nonmilitary applications. Some remember when abortion was a euphemism for killing unborn babies. Then choice became a euphemism for abortion. Since people are beginning to figure out that it still means crushing babies’ skulls and sucking their brains out, a new term is needed. Introducing Kinetic Parenthood Prevention.