Reply #20: Connotations are much more important sometimes [View All]

Dictionaries are great- and people use multiple ones all of the time. Medical, legal, electrical engineering and others- they are all so indispensible- and they relate to disciplines that require specific denotation. In cultural things- if you're learning a new language or are still struggling with vocabulary, then dictionary denotations are also really important.

Once you've mastered a language, you have to deal with widespread and commonly held meanings. Sublties. In the vernacular, semantics becomes more subtle and usage in context can "bleed over" and color perceptions.

That's, like, Marketing 101.

In one sense, the meaning of "insurgents" boils down to "anyone who opposes the prevailing American policy maker's 'vision' of what order should be imposed. But the way it's commonly understood by the vast majority in America at least (and probably most in Britain)- what pervades (perverts?) the mindset- is that "insurgents" come from elsewhere- from "out of state" if you will. They insurge.

But even if that were true, in the larger context of the Islamic vs. the Western "world." Who's insurging?

My thoughts are (and my experience is) that strategies aimed at building lasting resolutions of conflicts must be based on some common understanding of the situation as it is- not how one would like it to be nor how one maybe feels a little better looking at it.

It's a tough thing to do and there aren't easy answers. There aren't cool formulas. It's not math.

Often times, things have to play out- which is why, if you've ever been with a skilled mediator, you'll notice that they let the parties have it out for a while- before they try to reframe issues.

Returning to Iraq, the article suggests that adopting tactics used in Central America- which, btw: are similar in many respects to those used by "the insurgents," will somehow produce a "better result."

The logic is thus:

"The Sunni population is paying no price for the support it is giving to the terrorists," he said. "From their point of view, it is cost-free. We have to change that equation."

My response to that is:

Any 6th grader can learn basic algebra (and as lil' tangent- where did algebra come from?).