re: another reason why the americans can't win
Och, bendigo! How sad you make me when you make such elementary mistakes! I agree, a war is a war, is a war! Apart from this silly statement being a flagrant tautology, how does it define what a war is? I don't usually allow myself the dependence of a definition of simply one dictionary (a word has subtle variations according to its context: phylosophy, psychology, religion, even geology etc) but this time let me take you by your index finger to page 1310 of the Concise Oxford Dicky:
war: n 1. Strife usually between nations conducted by force; state of open hostility and suspension of ordinary international law prevalent during such strife, military or naval or air attack or series of attacks; period of such strife (Trojan War; War of the Roses) Then the good dicky goes on to explain how the word is used figuratively: hostility or contention between persons, efforts to combat crime, disease, poverty, etc....
So War, in the number one meaning is a strife (major one at that) between nations. Of course, my contention is that it really isn't between nations but between politicians who can't get their act together and who don't care two icypoles for the loss of human life, but that's another story.
What is the point of having words like those I've mentioned in my previous post: insurrection, rebellion, coup D'etat, insurgency, etc, etc, if they can all be expressed with the single word "war?" Is a school yard brawl a war? Is war when the greenies tie themselves to their beloved trees, the anti-detention protesters to the razor wire?
"One wins one loses." Duh! Sometimes my dog wins and sometimes it loses!
Am I being too... obtuse or subtle for you my dear cyber friend? Please do let me know, because I'd hate you to have difficult nights worrying about such things.
Now, please don't make me feel sad again! LOL Good to see the rain. I know a young couple not far from you who keep whinging, though rightly, I think, that all the rain bypasses their few acres. I won't tell you who they are because I'll never be able to control their terrible lies they'll tell you about me! LOL
