Comments on: Whitehouse Slang http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266 A Blog about Words and Language(s) from alphaDictionary.com Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:00:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.6 By: rbeard http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266&cpage=1#comment-126512 rbeard Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:31:11 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266#comment-126512 The fact that the factual reporting on the Iraq war is far, far below that of the Vietnamese war leads me abruptly to the conclusion that the reporters are selected. Only on public television and radio do you hear specialists on Iraq discuss the war and questions about the death tolls, investigative reports on Blackwater, criticism of paying Mr. Cheney's corporation (Halliburton) for food services in the military, etc., etc. During the Vietname war the US public was inundated with information on situations like this. Every aspect of the war was investigated. Today, if you want to get investigative reporting on the war, we have to go to indie documentaries like "Uncovered" and "Iraq for Sale" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Iraq_War_documentaries) The fact that the factual reporting on the Iraq war is far, far below that of the Vietnamese war leads me abruptly to the conclusion that the reporters are selected. Only on public television and radio do you hear specialists on Iraq discuss the war and questions about the death tolls, investigative reports on Blackwater, criticism of paying Mr. Cheney’s corporation (Halliburton) for food services in the military, etc., etc. During the Vietname war the US public was inundated with information on situations like this. Every aspect of the war was investigated. Today, if you want to get investigative reporting on the war, we have to go to indie documentaries like “Uncovered” and “Iraq for Sale” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Iraq_War_documentaries)

]]> By: rbeard http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266&cpage=1#comment-126507 rbeard Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:36:59 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266#comment-126507 The fact that "rendition" is an arcane legal term (which is seldom found in legal dictionaries) tells us where it came from but not how it is used by the networks today. I would argue that, since the meaning given by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is a form of extradition, it is really legal slang so long as the process itself is not legal (extradition requires court approval in the nation of origin). "Cool" has an origin and an original meaning; that does not preclude its use as a slang word for "excellent". Slang is a code identifying the speaker with a particular group, therefore it is a matter of usage, not lexical origin. The fact that “rendition” is an arcane legal term (which is seldom found in legal dictionaries) tells us where it came from but not how it is used by the networks today. I would argue that, since the meaning given by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is a form of extradition, it is really legal slang so long as the process itself is not legal (extradition requires court approval in the nation of origin). “Cool” has an origin and an original meaning; that does not preclude its use as a slang word for “excellent”. Slang is a code identifying the speaker with a particular group, therefore it is a matter of usage, not lexical origin.

]]> By: Matt http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266&cpage=1#comment-126340 Matt Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:42:09 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266#comment-126340 "Rendition" is a word that was used in the context of international criminal prosecutions before George W. Bush's entourage of hooligans appropriated it for their own nefarious purposes. "Extraordinary rendition" is the prevalent term of art in legal circles referring to the extradition of a subject located in a country that does not choose to cooperate in the extradition. Thus, although the term has apparently been corrupted to apply to the unauthorized taking of a prisoner for interrogation/ torture, it has a history of referring to a quasi-legitimate practice. “Rendition” is a word that was used in the context of international criminal prosecutions before George W. Bush’s entourage of hooligans appropriated it for their own nefarious purposes. “Extraordinary rendition” is the prevalent term of art in legal circles referring to the extradition of a subject located in a country that does not choose to cooperate in the extradition. Thus, although the term has apparently been corrupted to apply to the unauthorized taking of a prisoner for interrogation/ torture, it has a history of referring to a quasi-legitimate practice.

]]> By: Brian http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266&cpage=1#comment-126332 Brian Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:55:43 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=266#comment-126332 Actually, renditions as an official policy began under the Clinton administration (http://www.aclu.org/safefree/extraordinaryrendition/22203res20051206.html). Also, do you have any evidence that the military screen reporters before allowing them to be embedded and rejected those who were unfriendly? I understand the arguments that many present against embedding on ethical grounds, but that seems a different argument than what you are asserting. Actually, renditions as an official policy began under the Clinton administration (http://www.aclu.org/safefree/extraordinaryrendition/22203res20051206.html).

Also, do you have any evidence that the military screen reporters before allowing them to be embedded and rejected those who were unfriendly? I understand the arguments that many present against embedding on ethical grounds, but that seems a different argument than what you are asserting.

]]>