Orwell and the language of our foreign policy

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is absolutely furious with Bernie Sanders. Why? Because he used the appropriate word.

When asked about the descriptor, Bloomberg said: "If he was talking about killing the general ... this is a guy who had an awful amount of American blood on his hands. I think that's an outrageous thing to say."

"Nobody that I know of would think that we did something wrong in getting the general," he said, before adding the U.S. had a "right" and "obligation" to pursue Soleimani.

OK. I got a dictionary and I chose "assassination".

The administration has defended itself, noting that it acted out of self-defense to defeat a dangerous terrorist. U.S. officials also claimed that Soleimani's death occurred "on the battlefield" and therefore didn't meet the legal definition of assassination.

Baghdad airport was a battlefield? And we declared war on Iran?
That's news to me, and to Iraqis as well.

Our so-called leaders speak
With words they try to jail you
They subjugate the meek
But it's the rhetoric of failure

- The Police

This isn't the first time Bernie has been guilty of using the correct word.

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Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has doubled down this week on calling the recent ouster of Bolivia’s now-former President Evo Morales a “coup,” but few other U.S. lawmakers or candidates followed suit.

The ongoing debate on whether constitutional order was maintained during and after the transition has echoed a larger divide in global politics. Sanders’s view is shared among the global left, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who granted asylum to Morales upon his exit from Bolivia.

But the Trump administration — and opponents of the Latin American populist left embodied by Morales and López Obrador — saw the end of the Morales government as a boon to democracy in the region.

"I oppose the intervention of Bolivia's security forces in the democratic process and their repression of Indigenous protesters. When the military intervened and asked President Evo Morales to leave, in my view, that’s called a coup," wrote Sanders on Twitter Monday evening.

The distinction is important in the U.S. because a coup would require withdrawal of all assistance to the country.

I think that the bipartisan establishment can agree that Ignorance is Strength.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

Bernie IS revolutionary! Pleasantry

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24 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

@Raggedy Ann U.S. military has agreed to pull out of Iraq.

Hold on. Now SoD Esper says we aren't pulling out. It looks like there's disagreement in Washington

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17 users have voted.
thanatokephaloides's picture

@gjohnsit

just saw the news U.S. military has agreed to pull out of Iraq.

Hold on. Now SoD Esper says we aren't pulling out. It looks like there's disagreement in Washington

Sounds like some really bad sex there, can't decide whether to pull it out or not. And if I were Iraq, I'd be calling Captain Olivia Benson about it anyway...... /s

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11 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Raggedy Ann's picture

@gjohnsit
Don't count on the US using it's "head" and pulling out of Iraq. So, Americans in the region will be isolated and bad things happen when you're isolated. Herr Drumpf has NO idea what we're all in for.

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15 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

@Raggedy Ann
Not much chance of that

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7 users have voted.

I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Raggedy Ann's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness
Actually -0 chance.

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3 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Wally's picture

@gjohnsit

. . . that the SKY reporter tweeted about. Apparently, too quick on the draw to come up with a scoop.

It appears only some troops are being moved out of Baghdad and repositioned elsewhere in Iraq and outside Iraq but within "the region."

Still, if they are abandoning any bases there, that's a hugh loss of investment. Some of those bases were humongous and cost billions to build and equip.

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10 users have voted.

@Wally
would mind uncle sam pulling our collective head
out of their ass
pretty sure they didn't agree to our
insertion in the first place
losing a launching pad to destroy Iran
is what has the neocons getting flaccid

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16 users have voted.

@Wally That if bases are abandoned there will be a lot of demolitions/bombing practice that takes place. After all you wouldn't want to gift them to people who might make use of them (even if for civilian use in place of all the civilian buildings the USA has destroyed in Iraq).

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7 users have voted.

@MichaelSF @MichaelSF

ISIS started with in weaponry, including tanks, was acquired at our bases left unguarded in Iraq. I believe that was purposeful, on purpose. But it is also a crime under international law to leave weapons of war unguarded for the reason you describe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_equipment_of_ISIL

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8 users have voted.

@Wally

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4 users have voted.

I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Not Henry Kissinger's picture

A good rule of thumb: you know a term is used CORRECTLY whenever neocons complain it isn't.

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24 users have voted.

The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

Lily O Lady's picture

ignorance!

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9 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

thanatokephaloides's picture

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is absolutely furious with Bernie Sanders. Why? Because he

...... exists.

Telling truth and spreading appropriate call-a-spade-a-fucking-shovel descriptions nationwide.

Billionaire Mike hates that!

Diablo

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27 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

@thanatokephaloides
he can buy the news cycle
long enough to justify his
numbers and opinions
over and over
it's the 'new' sculpting
of opinion process

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14 users have voted.
Bollox Ref's picture

can use his account to advocate for the commission of war crimes, and not be banned?

I thought the 'Twats in Charge' had 'standards'.

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12 users have voted.

Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

travelerxxx's picture

@Bollox Ref

I thought the 'Twats in Charge' had 'standards'.

Standards are for the little people.

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3 users have voted.