Semantic Drift: "meaninglessness," "pointlessness"

[sagehen]

Jonathan writes:
>No, it isn't a quibble.
>
>  War in general is sufficiently destructive to be labeled as "folly" and
>"unwisdom" (there are probably other terms that fit as well).  But since
>all wars are initiated for some purpose (whatever it may be), war in
>general can hardly be described as "pointless" or "meaningless."
~~~~~~~~~
OTOH war can itself drift into "pointlessness" when it becomes clear that
it is pointless to continue, since whatever the original goal  was can no
longer be hoped for.  "Meaninglessness" is another matter.
AM


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