Rudy Rebrands "Global War On Terror" As The "Terrorists' War On Us"
Here's a really interesting tidbit from Rudy Giuliani's new list of "12 Commitments," which we reported on below. Rudy has now rebranded the war on terror with a new name:
Got that? Rudy is now calling it the "Terrorists' War on Us." Note the capital letters.
Rudy has been critical of the GWOT phrase, saying that it gives the impression that America "wants to have war, or exercises its power too much, pushes its weight around too much." Oddly enough, Rudy agrees in this respect with John Edwards — even as he has lashed out at Edwards for saying the GWOT phrase is just a "bumper sticker."
Now Rudy has compensated for the fact that "GWOT" makes America sound overly militaristic by hatching this new phrase, saying that the terrorists are the aggressors making war on us. And another advantage this phrase has over GWOT: It's even scarier.
Got that? WE'RE the victims here.
He's really flirting with self-parody here.
June 12, 2007 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
"TWOU" - that has no buzz to it.
Rudy should bring back the one-week-lived Struggle Against Violent Extremism, or SAVE.
That's got cache! We can sell SAVE!
June 12, 2007 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. But the "Terrorists' War" is easy to say, and easy to remember, and easy to slip into one's view of the world.
"Why yes, CBS/NY Times poll, I'll vote for Rudy because he's standing strong on the terrorist war--someone needs to. The Democrats think the terrorist war is just a bumper sticker. Rudy Giuliani knows different"
June 12, 2007 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
One other problem with the newspeak -- if you're "on offense" in "the Terrorists' War on Us" doesn't that mean you're on the side of the terrorists?
I'd think that highly paid PR people might at least have had the sense to say that he'll keep American on offense against the Terrorists' War on Us...
June 12, 2007 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's TWU! It's TWU! - Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles 1974.
June 12, 2007 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
And pronounced "tfu, tfu" or, possibly, as "tfui, tfui"; that's how my Mother used to pronounce it. I'm sure some of the older readers of Jerusalem Post (speakers of Yddish rather than Hebrew) will be able to instruct him on that point.
June 12, 2007 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I recommend that Rudy re-thinks his effort. It's not the TWOU, it's the EMTWOONFK - Evil Meanie Terrorist War On Our Nation's Fluffy Kittens.
June 13, 2007 5:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
The point is that the Republicans have now communicated that the "War On Terrorism" idea is harmful to their cause and must be muddied and changed. This means those opposed to the administration should ratchet up its use.
August 10, 2007 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink