Does this strike anyone else as rather strange phrasing?


Heard on a TV discussion this evening-

"The troops will only take offensive action in self-defense."

It could mean that after the first attack all bets are off.

There's an expression, "The best defense is a good offense". I typically use it when I'm told to be a "defensive driver".

I've always liked "preemptive defense", a phrase that lets me attack anyone I feel like on the grounds that they might attack me at some undefined time in the future.

quote:

I've always liked "preemptive defense", a phrase that lets me attack anyone I feel like on the grounds that they might attack me at some undefined time in the future.

You know, I could swear that I've noticed a leader of a major world power use exactly this device not all that long ago. I wish I could remember who it was...

quote:

Originally posted by Richard English:

quote:

I've always liked "preemptive defense", a phrase that lets me attack anyone I feel like on the grounds that they might attack me at some undefined time in the future.

You know, I could swear that I've noticed a leader of a major world power use exactly this device not all that long ago. I wish I could remember who it was...

Can't be Tony Blair. It's a long time since anyone thought of us as a major world power.

quote:

Can't be Tony Blair. It's a long time since anyone thought of us as a major world power. Roll Eyes

quote:

Can't be Tony Blair. It's a long time since anyone thought of us as a major world power. Roll Eyes

I suppose it depends on your criteria. We are the sixth largest spender on military items (SOURCE: CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005) and supposedly the fourth most economically important country - but I don't trust the source completely. We are also the fourth most innovative country in the world (SOURCE: Porter, Michael E. and Scott Stern, National Innovative Capacity, Chapter 2.2 in Porter, Michael, and JeffreySachs (eds.), The Global Competitiveness Report 2001-2002, New York: Oxford University Press, 2001, p.104. via ciesin.org)

So, although we are no longer the superpower we once were, we're pretty high on the scale.

we're pretty high on the scale

... and, first in modesty ...

The -fense in defense and offense is from the Latin -fendere from PIE *gwhen- 'to strike, kill': cogantes English bane, fence, German Bahn 'way, road' (as in Autobahn 'freeway, motorway'), gun (from Old Norse gunnr 'war'), Persian zahr 'poison', Sanskrit hanti 'strikes, slays'

quote:

Originally posted by zmježd:
we're pretty high on the scale

... and, first in modesty ...

Certainly much more modest than the country with the highest GDP (Grossly Defective Propaganda)

Of all the thousands of virtues that we possess, modesty and humility rank highest on the list.

LOL