God-SAVE Us

As we contemplate the White House's latest linguistic stunts, let's remember Karl Rove's infamous quote:

"Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war."

Ah, what a difference a failed strategy makes! These same conservatives now want to downgrade The War on Terror (G-WOT?) to The Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism (G-SAVE). Excuse me, struggle? Americans struggle with their weight, not al-Qaeda.

What's next? The War in Iraq called, like Vietnam was, a police action? The War on Drugs changed to The Tussle Against Extreme Addiction?

General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the National Press Club that he had "objected to the use of the term "war on terrorism" before, because if you call it a war, then you think of people in uniform as being the solution." The solution, he concluded, is "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military."

Apparently, conservatives have seen the savagery of Iraq and taken up the liberal position. Liberals have seen the conservatives' partisan savagery over the War on Terror, and we don't know whether to laugh or cry. This is historical irony with a body count.