Choice of Words: War & Ideas

The election is over. The presidential transition has started. No matter one's political leaning change is coming. The level of uncertainty in the world is great. With all this as the backdrop, I'm stuck with a reoccurring theme that I can't dismiss.

There was a great deal of ink spilled and pontificating about language and words during the campaign. Yet, there is a phrase in vogue use by some administration leaders that strikes me as fantastically misdirected. It is well documented that the current administration tuned and fine tuned of America's messaging for 8 years with great rigidity. Through formal and informal channels, press secretaries and bloggers alike have maneuvered around the words and language of our international message. But I am stunned that the phrase "war of ideas," a staggering choice of words repeated by the diplomatic arm of our government, continues to enjoy such active and regular use. Words matter. This phrase signals an aggressive state of being that isn't helping our posture in the global audience. I'm hopeful some shifting winds will blow soon and a new set of buzz words will take root in place of this unfortunate phraseology.