As we posted earlier, Representative Peter King (R-N.Y.) seems content to contribute little more to the overall oeuvre of counter-terror policy than to continue to suggest that the Obama administration needs to deploy its finest vocabulary words against our enemies.
Asked by George Stephanopoulos to provide a "specific recommendation the president could implement right now," King included this as a recommendation:
"I think one main thing would be to -- just himself to use the word 'terrorism' more often."
But really, why stop there? If using the word "terrorism" will help stop terrorism, why not use the phrase, "evil terrorism?" Or "Satanic terrorism?" Or "psychopathic, blood-curdling, birthday-spoiling, bald eagle-sodomizing terrorism?" Or President Obama can just stand at a podium and emit a series of angry, barbaric yawps. The thing about strong words and emotions is that they can always be stronger, even when they are contributing nothing of value.
One thing that this Semantics Arms Race does have going for it, is that at least it's deficit-neutral.
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