I do not use the expression "War on Terror." It is a harmful euphemism. It is a euphemism because it relieves us of the task of naming our adversaries, for fear of offending those who feel kinship with those adversaries but are not engaged in violence. And it is harmful because it allows us not to think about and discuss the broad lines of this conflict.
Terrorism is a manner of waging war, usually defined as the deliberate use of force against civilian targets, or threat of such. The United States is not at war with a manner of waging war. We are not at war with terrorism. We are at war with people who are at a material disadvantage in terms of military might, and who therefore fight with what they have. It is a time-honored tactic. But it is not central to understanding why the war is happening.
Nobody can claim to have anything useful to say about this war if you will not or cannot name the enemy. Saying we are in a war on terror is like saying we are war with people who fight dirty. It is descriptive, but not definitive.
And so I challenge politicians, pundits, news organizations, bloggers, and anyone else who cares to enter the dialog to drop the term "War on Terror." Drop it completely. If you feel it coming to your fingers, think of another way of saying what you want to say.
I will follow with another diary entry in a day or so, in which I will follow my own advice.