Honest Labeling

Here is an interesting comment on language by James Fallows in his blog:

Yes, children, there was a "Department of War" all through American history, until the creation of the "Department of Defense" in 1947. More was involved in creation of the DOD than the change in name; but in retrospect "Department of War" seems a breathtakingly and admirably honest term. I think we should change the Pentagon's name back to "Department of War," and re-assign "Department of Defense" to the organization that now bears the loathsome name "Department of Homeland Security."

One of my bugaboos is the SAC (Strategic Air Command) motto of "Peace is Our Profession".

All this Orwellian Newspeak has always bothered me. If you have read Orwell's novel 1984 or watched the film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb then you have been seen this lying with language pilloried and mocked.

I like James Fallow's call for a more honest vocabulary. Once you start using words honestly, then presumably your thinking will naturally be more honest. And maybe the world can get back on track to being engaged in creating a better future for everyone instead of this "me first" and "beggar thy neighbor" world we live in right now.