War as metaphor

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"Thousand-yard stare", a 1944 illustration by Thomas C. Lea III Thomas C. Lea III - That Two-Thousand Yard Stare - Original.jpg
"Thousand-yard stare", a 1944 illustration by Thomas C. Lea III

The use of war as metaphor is a longstanding literary and rhetorical trope. In political usage, war metaphors are used to manage a perceived societal problem, with the concept taking the place of an individual or state enemy in true war. The war metaphor is sometimes invoked to pursue ordinary domestic politics. [1]

Contents

Philosopher James Childress describes the use of war as a metaphor as a dilemma: "In debating social policy through the language of war, we often forget the moral reality of war." [2] One fundamental problem is that it is often unclear when the "war" is over. [3] Simon Jenkins, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, said that "Never, ever, should a government use war as a metaphor in a time of peace." [4]

Examples

Examples of war used as a metaphor, often on the form "War on..." or "War against...":

Some wars are not proclaimed but rather a label used by adversaries:

See also

Further reading

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References

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  2. 1 2 Childress, James F. (2001). "The War Metaphor in Public Policy: Some Moral Reflections" (PDF). In Ficarrotta, J. Carl (ed.). The Leader's Imperative: Ethics, Integrity, and Responsibility. Purdue University Press. pp. 181–197. ISBN   9781612491394 . Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Vad har Kina lärt av kulturrevolutionen?", professor Michael Schoenhals in Godmorgon världen! , Sveriges radio, 18 May 2016. Retrieved 23 maj 2016. (In Swedish)
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