The Power of Words in Wartime

1. Words in wartime give soliders the power to kill other humans. The are use to dehumanize those which we are fighting against.
2. I think Lakoff is right. We really don't realize how much power our words have. Words have left people emotinally scarred for life or build them up to do great things. Sometimes they get people to get off their ass and go do something.
3. This essay is really about both war and the power of language. That's why it's named the power of words in wartime. It is about wartime language and what a difference it makes when combatting enemies.
4. I don't think that Lakoff is exaggerating that our linguistic habits make atrocities inevitable. That's how Hitler brain washed the German people to do wha they did. If we keep dehumanizing our enemy then we will see them as less and treat them as such.
5. The failure of not having Americans as victims to wartime language does weaken the arguement but it would be worse if there wasn't a bit of background about language used to describe american enemies. Lakoff does make it appear that we Americans dish it out but don't recieve it which we all know isn't true. All in all it was a good and intresting read that got me and my room mate talking about wartime and american attitudes.