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Let's Call This War What It Really Is
By Michael Harrison, Publisher TALKERS Magazine

This article originally appeared in the November, 2001 issue of TALKERS Magazine.

Copyright 2001, Focus Communications, Inc.

Forgive me for seeming nit picky, but terminology is important - especially when explaining and defining concepts that involve not only life and death, but the very survival of our society and its values, as well.

That is why our use of the label "War On Terrorism" to describe the conflict in which America finds itself embroiled is both disturbing and dangerous. It reeks of the media-manufactured, politically spun logoism that gave us names for such monumental losers as the "War On Poverty" and the "War On Drugs." Let us pray that the so-called "War On Terrorism" does not meet a fate in any way similar to those failed campaigns.

Modern-era 24/7 cable news television has played a role in contributing to the pop-journalistic labeling of serious situations in its zeal to capitalize on the moment (and inarticulate politicians have done little to offer improvement). After all, what good are snazzy graphics and dramatic music if they do not have a catchy title to serve as a centerpiece for the production?

Thank you CNN for giving us "America's New War" (which is sort of like "new and improved" laundry detergent) that was hastily slapped on the screen immediately following the awful events of September 11. How about the title "America Strikes Back" that is currently being used by several key TV news outlets? How invigorating! Here's a tip of the hat to the creative genius of George Lucas for inspiring that nifty gem. Then there's "America's Mission" which gives the whole affair sort of a romantic, adventurous ambiance, like a television series or even a manned trip to Mars. Don't even get me started on the military's contribution to our nomenclature with "Operation Infinite Justice" and "Operation Enduring Freedom." Why don't we just bring back "The War To End All Wars"?

It is vitally important that we articulate concepts as accurately as possible so that we can discuss them with clarity while focusing on our challenge without being side tracked by muddy thinking, irrelevant issues, and collective denial. It is sadly ironic that while our culture has developed the bad habit of wanton hyperbole regarding the description of events, we are seriously (and uncharacteristically) understating the true nature of this conflict with the aforementioned terms and titles. By calling this the "War On Terrorism," we continue to bury our head in the sand. What exactly do we mean by this overly misused word, terrorism? We might just as well call our enemies bogeymen.

What happened on September 11 was not a tragedy (the term we hear over and over). It was an atrocity. Tragedy makes it sound like an accident…an unfortunate situation that we would want to put behind us. Some 5,000 American civilians were murdered in cold blood by a multi-national foreign entity that is on record as being bent on not simply conquering, but actually bringing our nation to extinction. This is far worse than a tragedy. It was the worst attack that America has ever suffered and it clearly indicates that our enemies really are serious! Can you imagine America in the early forties responding to Pearl Harbor by wanting to get "back to normal" as quickly as possible so those pesky Japanese and Germans didn't feel they could disrupt our precious lifestyles? Do you think FDR would have told Americans to react to the situation by going to Disney World? Does the Dow holding its own mean everything is okay?

Just a handful of short weeks ago, the President of the United States went before the entire world and eloquently stated that we are responding to the events of September 11 by going after the perpetrators of the attacks including the individuals that planned and executed them as well as the governments that support them. There would and could be no backing down from his powerful declaration. Officially declared or not, George W. Bush told every nation on the planet Earth, that the United States was now at war on a massive, long-term scale. His words were applauded by a wide majority of Americans and endorsed by the leaders of both parties.

Excuse me, does anyone in the media or government have the guts to call this ugly thing what it really is? Well, here goes: World War III. Like it or not, that's what history will someday call it.

Our generation grew up imagining World War III to be synonymous with Armageddon. We imagined it being a very rapid uncontrolled nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union (maybe with Red China) that would result in the end of the world, as we knew it. When the Cold War ended and we stopped worrying about mutually assured destruction, somehow we dropped the idea that a third world war could still happen within our lifetimes. Now that we are in the opening stages of the real World War III, we do not recognize it. This is a dangerous lack of perception. We are not fighting shadowy bogeymen. We are at war with real countries and real peoples who use terrorism as a weapon against our superior military muscle. We know exactly who they are and we can name them. So, America, are you really ready to roll?

World War III does not have to be Armageddon. It could actually turn out to be a short war with relatively light casualties (when compared to the first two world wars) and usher in a new era of international peace and understanding. However, if we do not clearly understand what we are dealing with here and address it for exactly what it is, this so-called War On Terrorism will neither go away nor be less likely to escalate into something far more clear cut and hideous.

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