I have a theory about the conservative noise machine
I think that periodically the GOP spinmeisters come up with screwy neologisms just to see if they can get the Kool-Aid drinkers to follow along. Remember back in the 90's when conservatives all started talking about the "Democrat Party"? Not just talking heads, mind you- one day all the conservatives I argued with just started saying "Democrat party". Even more amusing is the fact that after a while they all just stopped, once the spinmeisters got tired of the joke. You would think that if all the conservatives had started saying "Democrat party" because they thought it made sense or something, then they wouldn't have all stopped in lockstep like that. Maybe there would be a few stragglers, if they were actually thinking for themselves. Stay tuned for the "Gree party".
Even better is "homicide bomber." The ostensible logic is that calling them "suicide bombers" is too sympathetic and touchy-feely, so we need to call them "homicide bombers" in order to remind everyone that these people are murderers. But the problem is that Americans have always been really been creeped out by the suicide angle. It's not like "suicide" in this context really brings to mind a depressed teenager making a desperate call for help. The media is full of discussion of what drives people to become suicide bombers because in American culture, the idea of embracing certain death in order to advance a cause just doesn't add up. This is true even when you divorce suicide attacks from the context of terrorism. Kamikaze pilots are a source of enduring fascination for Americans, but aside from the suicide angle, they were soldiers just like our own troops were. The suicide, and suicide alone, marks them as crazy. Using the term "homicide bomber" is not only redundant to the point of silliness, it actually defuses the reality of the situation. It's like saying, "You liberals think these are Kamikaze pilots? Ha! Real Americans call 'em Japanese Air Force pilots!"
Hence the conclusion that "homicide bomber" was actually proposed by the spinmeisters as a bar bet. If they really wanted to demonize terrorists, they'd call them "suicide fanatics" or something like that. But "homicide bomber"?
Even better is "homicide bomber." The ostensible logic is that calling them "suicide bombers" is too sympathetic and touchy-feely, so we need to call them "homicide bombers" in order to remind everyone that these people are murderers. But the problem is that Americans have always been really been creeped out by the suicide angle. It's not like "suicide" in this context really brings to mind a depressed teenager making a desperate call for help. The media is full of discussion of what drives people to become suicide bombers because in American culture, the idea of embracing certain death in order to advance a cause just doesn't add up. This is true even when you divorce suicide attacks from the context of terrorism. Kamikaze pilots are a source of enduring fascination for Americans, but aside from the suicide angle, they were soldiers just like our own troops were. The suicide, and suicide alone, marks them as crazy. Using the term "homicide bomber" is not only redundant to the point of silliness, it actually defuses the reality of the situation. It's like saying, "You liberals think these are Kamikaze pilots? Ha! Real Americans call 'em Japanese Air Force pilots!"
Hence the conclusion that "homicide bomber" was actually proposed by the spinmeisters as a bar bet. If they really wanted to demonize terrorists, they'd call them "suicide fanatics" or something like that. But "homicide bomber"?
posted by Wintermute at 6:14 AM
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