WWIII

I want to call your attention to an article entitled "Let's face it, it's WWIII, Gingrich says". I'm really horrified by that language. Take a look:

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich says America is in World War III and President Bush should say so.

Gingrich said in an interview Saturday that Bush should call a joint session of Congress the first week of September and talk about global military conflicts in much starker terms than have been heard from the president.

"We need to have the militancy that says 'We're not going to lose a city, " Gingrich said.

Gingrich said in the coming days he plans to speak out publicly and to the administration from his seat on the Defense Policy Board about the need to recognize that America is in World War III.

He lists wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, last week's bomb attacks in India, North Korean nuclear threats, terrorist arrests and investigations in Florida, Canada and Britain, and violence in Israel and Lebanon as evidence of World War III.

Now here's the real reason he's urging this language:

There is a political element to his talk of World War III. Gingrich said that public opinion can change "the minute you use the language" of World War III. The message then, he said, is, "OK, if we're in the third world war, which side do you think should win?"

That is simply beyond irresponsible. And talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once you start naming it as WWIII, you make it so. And it's a way of manipulating public opinion - making the public support hostilities they actually have grave doubts about.