Terms such as these are designed to replace mental images of death and mutilation with images of something else. Others, such as “collateral damage†(dead or wounded civilians), “kinetic activity†(shooting and bombing), “compounds†(homes) and “extraordinary rendition†(kidnapping and torture by states), are intended to prevent the formation of any mental pictures at all. If you can’t see what is being discussed, you will struggle to grasp the implications. The clearest example is “neutralisingâ€, which neutralises the act of killing it describes. I doubt many people could kill and wound if their language accurately represented what they were doing. It is notable that those who are most enthusiastic about waging war are the least able to describe what they are talking about without resorting to metaphor and euphemism. Few people have nightmares about squashing insects or mowing the lawn.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:56:05 +0000
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