!CAUTION!
YOU ARE IN A "VERBAL SHRAPNEL" RICH DOMAIN
17 March 2009
The Butter-Cutter On The Label, "Enemy Combatant"
“Well, it looks like Secretary Gates agreed with you on leaving the decision to permit the media to photograph coffins of returning Service Members' remains up to their families,” I said on approaching The Butter-Cutter. (1)
“Yeah, I heard that. Ya can tell the Secretary of Defense Spear-Chuckers that my office is open here on the virtual Chow Line fer breakfast, lunch, 'n' dinner if he needs any more good advise. But, tell him ta be on time fer the Mess Sergeant don't let late arrivals inta his Mess Hall,” he answered smugly. (2)
“I'll make sure the Secretary of Defense is so warned,” I answered while saying, 'Sure I will!' under my breath. “Have you also heard that the administration announced on Friday that they will no longer use the label, 'Enemy Combatants' to describe those prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?” (3)
“They ain't Enemy Combatants anymore? So what the f*** are they, FOO's--Friends Of Obama?” The Butter-Cutter asked.
“NO! They are not in any way friends of the President. In fact, the announcement appears only to eliminate that label and not change the prisoners’ status from that under the Bush administration. The Obama administration has said some of the Guantanamo detainees, now numbering about 240, will be freed while others will be put on trial. A third category involves some prisoners deemed too dangerous to be released. A group that represents a number of Guantanamo prisoners said, 'This is really a case of old wine in new bottles,' " I explained.
“Ya say, we ain't gonna call 'em, 'Enemy Combatants' er 'FOO's.' So, wadda we gonna call 'em?” he persisted in asking.
“The article I read did not state that the administration had coined a new, alternate label for 'Enemy Combatant'; although, it did use the general terms 'Detainee' and 'Prisoner',” I related.
"So, how about Prisoners of War, can we call 'em, 'Prisoners of War?' ”
“No! They do not qualify as Prisoners of War under the Geneva Convention,” I tried to explain to The Butter-Cutter.
“What the f***'s goin' on around here: we can't call 'em 'FOO's'; we can't call 'em 'Enemy Combatants'; 'n', we can't call 'em 'Prisoners of War!' The next Motherf***in' thing y're gonna tell me is that the Global War on Terror's over 'n' I didn't get the freakin' word!” he said with impassioned confusion.
“NO! I'm not going to tell you that. However, the last administration gave that the new name of, 'Long War.' We . . . ” (4)
“WHOA! I must o' slept through that. So tell me: What new name did the Secretary of Defense Spear-Chuckers come up with fer 'Enemy Combatant'?”
“Secretary Gates has neither come up with a new name nor did he get rid of the old name. As I understand it: The dropping of the label--'Enemy Combatant'-- came from the Department of Justice (DoJ) after direction from, or consultation with, the White House. I don't know why they didn't come up with a new term to replace the one they eliminated,” I said.
“Whaaa? So, the White House 'n' them 'Legal-Beagles' are smart enough ta get rid o' words but not smart enough ta come up with new ones! If DoD means Dumbest o' Dumb, DoJ must mean Department o' Jack-Offs--they're workin', but they ain't fatherin' anything!”
“That's an awful thing to say! The White House and DoJ were concerned about the legal aspects of the label and acted accordingly. You just don't understand the complexities involved in making these legal decisions,” I said in correcting The Butter-Cutter.
“If there's anybody here that don't understand this shit, it's YOU! Y'ain't the Secretary o' Defense Spear-Chuckers; but since y're in my office, I'm gonna explain it ta ya anyhow. Ya said them Obama-ites got rid o' the label on the Enemy Combatant can o' worms they inherited from Bush 'n' didn't touch a single worm in the can. That ain't got NOTHIN' ta do with legal shit 'n' everythin' ta do with bullshit. Ya see: They want the public ta believe they're keepin' Obama's campaign promises by changin' Bush's policies when they're really doin' the same shit. In the Chicago hood, er any other hood, doin' shit like that's called, shuckin' 'n' jivin'. Y're right! Them guys at Guantanamo ain't FOO's! WE are the FOOLS!” (5)
Semper No Fool,
Anthony F. Milavic
Major USMC (Ret.)
(1) http://www.thebutter-cutter.com/Photographing_Coffins.html
(2) http://www.thebutter-cutter.com/The_DoD_Spear-Chuckers.html
(3) http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/03/13/news/news-us-obama-security-combatant.html?
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_War_(21st_century)
(5) http://www.thebutter-cutter.com/Obama_s_Change.html
Waddaya think?
(9 Thinks)
RJI said: March 17th, 2009 2:34 pm
YOU Nailed it....
Rich said: March 17th, 2009 2:42 pm
When you can' t change truth, change the meaning of the words. When you can't change the meaning of words, change the words. Been going on in DC for years.
Sniper Bait 1966 said: March 17th, 2009 2:44 pm
I fear the "title" "Enemy Combatants" was removed to make it easier to arrest and otherwise detain the average American as a "Terrorist" as explaind in the MIAC Secret Police Document written in February 2009 and recently "outed" to the American public by a patriotic State police Officer. Today, anyone wearing an American Flag, a Don't Tread on Me" flag and many other symbols of a free America, are to be considered Terrorist signs. So, now all non Government personnel, Veterans, outspoken Patriots, registered Indepedent voters, people who admire Congressman Ron Paul and any other Constitutionalists are to be suspected Terrorists. That's you and me brother. I can hear the impeller gettin' ready for the feces.
Mike Hipius said: March 17th, 2009 4:57 pm
Since we now have lame people in charge, let's follow the lame baseball commissioner lead and use an asterisk. Let's refer to them all as *ssholes".
Maddy said: March 17th, 2009 10:16 pm
Sir ... I think they are treating us like "MUSHROOMS " TRy to keep us in the DARK & Feed us s....
GI said: March 19th, 2009 10:20 pm
Anthony, suspect the Butter Cuter has carefully read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: JULIET: 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself. Nice to know that the Butter Cutter is probably well read and has a leg up on the executive branch.
jrooth said: March 20th, 2009 6:23 am
As Sniper Bait 1966 has stated, wearing anything that shows patriotism is a sure way to have "extra" unwanted attention. But it is not necessarily something that just started. In 01/2002, while traveling through Florida, I had to go through a line to get on a plane in Tampa. As I got to the checkpoint where they send you through the detector I was pulled out of line and taken to a separate room where I had the honor of removing everything but my skivvies. Then, as we were boarding the plane, I overheard the TSA personnel state that I would have to have some extra scrutiny before being allowed on the plane. While I admit I am not the epitome of someone who looks innocent I was in a quandary as to why I was afforded the extra attention. After being subjected to another search (being allowed to keep my clothing on, I asked what buttons I had pushed to warrant the extra attention. The TSA tried to say it was just random and had nothing to do with me personally. I told them I wasn't buying that and would like an honest answer. You ready for this? My t shirt had the words "The Few, The Proud, The Marines!" and that sent up flags. Needless to say I was not a happy camper! I could live with the humiliation of being strip searched but I could not accept being detained because I was wearing my pride in the Corps.
Robert Osborne said: March 20th, 2009 7:05 am
Following Mr. Hipius's suggestion could we then call them *nemy *ombatants?
Wordsmith said: March 21st, 2009 1:43 pm
The butter cutter's colorful characterizations of our president are remarkably descriptive. I would, however, add one as indicative of his "religious-like" fervor-- Elmer Gantry.