Seeing the World through Rose-Colored Glasses (or These People Wouldn't Say "Shit" If They Had a Mouthful)

With the country at war abroad and on the brink of passing a domestic spending bill that big majorities of the public oppose, the Obama Administration is spending its time on a truly important matter: what to rename the war on terror. The main reason to do so in the first place is that George W. Bush coined the phrase, and if Bush said the sky was blue, Obama would avoid using that particular description too. The excuse, though, is that "war on terror" isn't accurate enough.

When asked about the "war on terror" phrase by CNN's Anderson Cooper, Obama said, "Well you know, I think it is very important for us to recognize that we have a battle or a war against some terrorist organizations … Words matter in this situation because one of the ways we're going to win this struggle is through the battle of hearts and minds."

This isn't just semantics; it's a shift in the essence of the fight. Obama thinks we're fighting against "some terrorist organizations," which misses the point that terrorists don't have to be very organized to be a threat to our security. But even ignoring that fact, it seems that Obama wants to set the tone for a kinder, gentler war.

"We're trying to come up with a phrase that better articulates a hopeful message," said one administration official involved in the discussions about terror terminology.

Because, you know, if we hope terrorists will stop wanting to kill us, they will.

I seem to recall that the last President who thought that using warmer, fuzzier words would help matters was Jimmy Carter. And for his naivete, he was rewarded with the Iranian hostage crisis and the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

In the wise words of Santayana, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The same fate waits those who remember but choose to ignore.