Talk:Shock and awe

I moved the following passage from the article to the Talk page because it consists of unfounded speculation. Aside from the anonymous author (IP #12.252.115.59), I am not aware of anyone who thinks that "shock and awe" might be mistaken by Muslims for "Shock Allah."--Sheldon Rampton 15:01 22 Mar 2003 (EST)


 * This term, for a change, is not doublespeak, but it does have problems, in that in the highly-charged religious atmosphere it could been seen as a religious insult to Muslims: Shock and awe -> Shock Allah - the idea that America is capable of shocking like Allah with its surgical power to literally strike its enemies dead from the air, a power always attributed to God alone.

IP #12.252.115.59 (who previously wrote that "shock and awe" minimized civilian casualties and damage to infracture) has now added the following passage, which I am again moving to the Talk page. Not only does it contradict his previous assertions, it consists largely of vague attempts to assert the "morality" of American policy decisions and an equally vague assertion of "anti-American bias." Moreover, the comparison with Nazi blitrkriegs comes from the military planners who invented "shock and awe," so passage below is inaccurate in that respect as well. --Sheldon Rampton 16:42 22 Mar 2003 (EST)


 * (of which it is debatable whether it qualifies), this term overtly attempts to emphasize the human cost of war even as it contemplates the massive use of deadly force, showing a great moral struggle behind American policy decisions to use force on smaller countries, although writers struggling with anti-American bias can't seem to 'get it' that the Americans have the power to target and destroy civilians if they want to, and get away with it - perhaps because these writers aren't personally suffering either shock or awe when writing from a safe distance :)  Even attempting to compare the all-out Nazi blitzkriegs - where the Nazis don't make any calculations to spare civilians in their attempt to win a war quickly, and indeed may have dastardly plans for their extermination on the drawing boards even before they start - with the far more humane and advanced American policy - which even includes plans for rebuilding the defeated country - is doomed to fostering the same kind of doublespeak it attempts to eliminate.  So be careful when calling shock and awe 'doublespeak'.