It has become increasingly clear to me that the average conservative supporter of the Global War of Terror knows more about the military, the Iraq war, the missing WMD's, insurgent snipers, Humvees (the ill-equipped ones and the better-equipped ones) than, well, everyone else on the planet. Even those who were virtually disinterested in military affairs have become "synthetic soldiers" in post-9/11 America. Now, I'm not talking about the enlisted soldier, I'm referring to the "next-door neighbor" type who has become enamored with everything military.You may encounter these individuals in the blogosphere but you may run into them in real life as well. This demographic is the one that found "Shock and Awe" to be orgasmic, the one that would thoroughly enjoy invading another country and showing anyone that "these colors don't run." They use a wide array of acronyms that display their superior knowledge in a field that is apparently useful only in a foxhole or seated in an armored tank.
Here are some general example that you and I could comprehend fairly easily:
SCOTUS = Supreme Court of the United States
POTUS = President of the United States
CiC = Commander in Chief
DoD = Department of Defense
CO = Commanding Officer
HVT = High-value target (probably used for Bin Laden when we were looking for him)
Apparently there are several "initialisms" that to lovers of the military and bombs are really amusing. Such as these:
BOHICA = bend over here it comes again
AWR = Allah's Waiting Room (when insurgents are in a building and an air-strike has been called in)
INI= Intoxication and intercourse (other than throwing puppies over cliffs these are other activities performed when not on duty)
USMC = Uncle Sam's Misguided Children
The list can go on for pages. The bottom line is that this vernacular has ceased to remain within the confines of the military and has spilled over into the general population that is supportive of war. Not only did the Bush Crime Family divide the country in such a way that pitted American vs. American, it also created a sub-culture that is absolutely fascinated and mesmerized by guns, tanks, bullets, bombs, death and destruction. I envision many of them watching movies like Red Dawn and Top Gun on a weekly basis. And to think this all started with 19 geeky terrorists who got lucky one day...
This love for all things military has created alter egos in many of this brethren. I've witnessed countless in the blogosphere who either claim to have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan and in reality have not (but so desperately want to fit in using some of the above acronyms) or claim to have a relative or friend that is in the military and that relative or friend was part of the team that found Saddam or was part of the team that "found the WMD but can't talk about it for 5-6 years...so yes, Iraq had WMD".
These terms and expressions are commonplace for the average right-winger. They use these expressions in forums or in an e-mail or in simple conversation. When the other party is not familiar with the expression, this is the opportunity they've been waiting for. They are all too excited to explain to Mr. or Mrs. Ignorant Civilian what these acronyms stand for or what the expression really means, its origin and how they are intrinsically tied to the expression.
Yes, the right has hijacked the military much like the Bush Crime Family has hijacked our Constitution. This is not a surprise. We've seen it in the past with countries like Germany in the 1930's and Italy in the late 1920's, early 1930's. A steroidal sense of nationalism combined with a dangerous lack of education produces this type of citizen. They are usually the easiest to convince and buy into nearly every form of propaganda.
Those that oppose war as the first option, like myself, will continue to honor the military and the service the men and women so courageously offer.
I still firmly believe, and hopefully will always believe, that the concept of a military is to defend our country rather than to create an empire.
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