Invading Pearl harbor

[Jonathan Lighter]

Before anyone tries a "gotcha" in respect of phrases like "the invasion of
Normandy," etc., carried out by the good guys, I'd suggest that history has
protected such phrases.  The bureaucratic mind is always looking ahead, at
least when it comes to euphemisms.

Non-bureaucrats, of course, speak of the 2003 "invasion of Iraq" regardless
of their politics - though I suspect some feel some dissonance.

Just sayin'....

JL

On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 4:18 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Invading Pearl harbor
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Bill, my SWAG is that in PR/ feel-good/ bureaucrat terms, only bad guys
> "invade."
>
> JL
>
> On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 3:12 PM, Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at bellsouth.net
> >wrote:
>
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> > Poster:       Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: Invading Pearl harbor
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > In the 1980s when I was teaching war planning, the preferred term was
> > "force
> > entry".  For whatever reason, "invade/invasion" was never used.
> >
> > But in any case, I echo the comments of Brian & others..."invasion" stood
> > out as much more out of place than any other part of the quotation..
> >
> >
> > Bill Palmer
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Metevia" <djmetevia at CHARTERMI.NET>
> > To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 2:31 PM
> > Subject: Re: Invading Pearl harbor
> >
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> > > Poster:       David Metevia <djmetevia at CHARTERMI.NET>
> > > Subject:      Re: Invading Pearl harbor
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I think invasion also implies an intent to conquer and stay.
> > >
> > > On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 1:41 PM, Brian Hitchcock
> > > <brianhi at skechers.com>wrote:
> > >
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> > >> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > >> Poster:       Brian Hitchcock <brianhi at SKECHERS.COM>
> > >> Subject:      Invading Pearl harbor
> > >>
> > >>
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>
> > >> What seems more odd than the quotation marks around "evil" is the use
> of
> > >> the
> > >> word "invasion" to describe what the Japanese did to Pearl Harbor.
> > >>  Wouldn't
> > >> "bombing' or 'attack' or 'destruction' be more apt? Doesn't an
> invasion
> > >> imply (at least some) 'boots on the ground'?
> > >>
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