Comments on: War Games http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/02/17/war-games/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:04:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: greg http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/02/17/war-games/comment-page-1/#comment-6074 greg Fri, 18 Feb 2005 21:43:54 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1628#comment-6074 There's a story about that today in <a href="http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2005/02/17/ecstasy_research/index.html" rel="nofollow">Salon</a>. It looks like a drug trial that has been ongoing is now being extended to troops. Every time I see the words "post-traumatic stress disorder" I can't help but think of George Carlin's brilliant rant on the subject : <blockquote>There's a condition in combat. Most people know about it. It's when a fighting person's nervous system has been stressed to it's absolute peak and maximum, can't take any more input. The nervous system has either snapped or is about to snap.</blockquote><blockquote>In the first world war that condition was called shell shock. Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables. Shell shock. Almost sounds like the guns themselves. That was 70 years ago.</blockquote><blockquote>Then a whole generation went by. And the second world war came along and the very same combat condition was called battle fatigue. Four syllables now. Takes a little longer to say. Doesn't seem to be as hard to say. Fatigue is a nicer word than shock. Shell shock...battle fatigue.</blockquote><blockquote>Then we had the war in Korea in 1950. Madison Avenue was riding high by that time. And the very same combat condition was called operational exhaustion. Hey we're up to 8 syllables now! And the humanity has been squeezed completely out of the phrase now. It's totally sterile now. Operational Exhaustion: sounds like something that might happen to your car.</blockquote><blockquote>Then of course came the war in Vietnam, which has only been over for about 16 or 17 years. And thanks to the lies and deceit surrounding that war, I guess it's no surprise that the very same condition was called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Still eight syllables, but we've added a hyphen. And the pain is completely buried under jargon. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.</blockquote><blockquote>I bet you, if we'd still been calling it shell shock, some of those Vietnam veterans might have gotten the attention they needed at the time. I bet you that.</blockquote> There’s a story about that today in Salon. It looks like a drug trial that has been ongoing is now being extended to troops.

Every time I see the words “post-traumatic stress disorder” I can’t help but think of George Carlin’s brilliant rant on the subject :

There’s a condition in combat. Most people know about it. It’s when a fighting person’s nervous system has been stressed to it’s absolute peak and maximum, can’t take any more input. The nervous system has either snapped or is about to snap.

In the first world war that condition was called shell shock. Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables. Shell shock. Almost sounds like the guns themselves. That was 70 years ago.

Then a whole generation went by. And the second world war came along and the very same combat condition was called battle fatigue. Four syllables now. Takes a little longer to say. Doesn’t seem to be as hard to say. Fatigue is a nicer word than shock. Shell shock…battle fatigue.

Then we had the war in Korea in 1950. Madison Avenue was riding high by that time. And the very same combat condition was called operational exhaustion. Hey we’re up to 8 syllables now! And the humanity has been squeezed completely out of the phrase now. It’s totally sterile now. Operational Exhaustion: sounds like something that might happen to your car.

Then of course came the war in Vietnam, which has only been over for about 16 or 17 years. And thanks to the lies and deceit surrounding that war, I guess it’s no surprise that the very same condition was called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Still eight syllables, but we’ve added a hyphen. And the pain is completely buried under jargon. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I bet you, if we’d still been calling it shell shock, some of those Vietnam veterans might have gotten the attention they needed at the time. I bet you that.

]]> By: Michael http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/02/17/war-games/comment-page-1/#comment-6073 Michael Fri, 18 Feb 2005 21:40:59 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1628#comment-6073 Maybe there could also be a way to hack the game and go into "chickenhawk" mode, where <a href="http://www.chickenhawkcards.com/" rel="nofollow">any of these excuses</a> can 'end' the game, allow you to declare "Mission Accomplished," and prance around on an aircraft carrier. But that mode would only be available to those with political connections/money or a combination of the two... Maybe there could also be a way to hack the game and go into “chickenhawk” mode, where any of these excuses can ‘end’ the game, allow you to declare “Mission Accomplished,” and prance around on an aircraft carrier. But that mode would only be available to those with political connections/money or a combination of the two…

]]> By: Mona http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/02/17/war-games/comment-page-1/#comment-6072 Mona Fri, 18 Feb 2005 19:48:48 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1628#comment-6072 And it should all end with a rave scene... I just heard on Democracy Now that they're giving troops Ecstasy now to try and combat post-traumatic stress disorder... And it should all end with a rave scene…

I just heard on Democracy Now that they’re giving troops Ecstasy now to try and combat post-traumatic stress disorder…

]]> By: jenniebee http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/02/17/war-games/comment-page-1/#comment-6075 jenniebee Fri, 18 Feb 2005 16:13:21 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1628#comment-6075 <strong>Whatever happened to 'Hopscotch?'</strong> The Talent Show reviews a new 'game' put out by the US Army. They're straight up about it that it's a recruiting tool, and they kept the blood and gore to a minimum so that it would be suitable for... Whatever happened to ‘Hopscotch?’

The Talent Show reviews a new ‘game’ put out by the US Army. They’re straight up about it that it’s a recruiting tool, and they kept the blood and gore to a minimum so that it would be suitable for…

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