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Rockholm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 06:49 PM
Original message
"On" vs. "Against"
Semantics Question: Why is it always the "War On Terror?" Why isn't it the "War Against Terror?" It would seem that we are fighting against something, not fighting on something. And while I'm at it, shouldn't be terrorism we are fighting and not terror?
These asshats in DC just play name games all the time.
It seems to me we have never won any war on, ie war on drugs.
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snowbear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 06:52 PM
Response to Original message
1. It's the "war on Terra"
Or at least that's what Mr. Bush calls it..
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Contrary1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 06:52 PM
Response to Original message
2. That bit of common sense wouldn't make
the administration's new slogan sound so good, though it is closer to the truth.

WAR AGAINST HUMANITY
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maxsolomon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 06:53 PM
Response to Original message
3. War Against Thought
Edited on Wed Nov-30-05 06:54 PM by maxsolomon
it was a nice empire for 50 years...
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 06:54 PM
Response to Original message
4. Easier to say?
like "the war on drugs."
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hvn_nbr_2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 06:59 PM
Response to Original message
5. War on drugs--probably the only sane way to go to war is on drugs.
Sorry for the sorry pun. I just never thought about the linguistics of it till now, and then my mind went running around.
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Orangepeel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 07:00 PM
Response to Original message
6. one can declare war on someone/something
That is a good question. "______ is fighting a war against ________" sounds correct to me, and "______ is fighting a war on ________" sounds incorrect.

But, "______ declared war on ________" sounds correct.

:shrug:
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Sparkly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 07:07 PM
Response to Original message
7. One talking head called it "the war FOR Iraq" the other day.. nt
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Overseas Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 07:10 PM
Response to Original message
8. Wars ON stuff never end, just get more messy and violent.
See War on Drugs.
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frogmarch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 07:13 PM
Response to Original message
9. If anything, Bush's bullshit war on terror should be called
the war on terrorISM, not terror.

"On" is correct usage, as is "against," but "on" is easier and quicker to say.
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jimshoes Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 07:18 PM
Response to Original message
10. Well after 3
years the war just wore on and wore on and wore on with no end in sight.
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lumberjack_jeff Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 10:00 PM
Response to Original message
11. Sure. My house is ON a foundation.
Terror is the foundation that supports a permanent war.

Good point.
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Josh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-01-05 06:56 AM
Response to Original message
12. The War ON Terror, because the acronym of The War Against Terror
is TWAT.

I just assumed that was the reason.
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