Terry Jones, of Monty Python fame, among other things, wrote an interesting essay back in 2002 entitled Why Grammar is the First Casualty of War that was recently posted on Common Dreams. Here’s an excerpt:
What really alarms me about [W]’s “war on terrorism” is the grammar. How do you wage war on an abstract noun? It’s rather like bombing murder.
…
Saying “We will destroy terrorism” is about as meaningful as saying: “We shall annihilate mockery.”
Although the essay is tongue-in-cheek, it is only partially so, as underneath the satirical humor there is a definite message to be pondered…
