Verbal behaviour

A friend of mine once told me that language is not the perfect medium of communication we’ve all come to rely on ..and I believe it. It is way too easy for me to misinterpret what someone says .. and fill in my own ideas. In casual conversation it’s not a big deal ..it can even be funny. When it occurs in intimate conversation .. relationships may suffer. But, when it occurs between heads of state on the international stage ..it can be disastrous. The other day I heard Bush defend his new policy on Iranians living in Iraq by saying that it was a ‘defensive strategy’ ..and not the ‘offensive campaign’ everyone is accusing him of. However, when I read what he actually says, it sure sounds to me like he’s opening the door to offensive strikes ..and I bet it sounds that way to the Iranians as well. First he says it’s “..OK to kill Iranians who threaten the lives of US servicemen” .. I agree, that’s a defensive strategy. Then he says it’s “..OK to kill Iranians who kill innocent civilians” ..that also sounds like a defensive strategy. However, what he says next implies an offensive assault .. and I’m afraid that’s the way Iranians are going to take it. He says it’s “..OK to kill Iranians who stop us from achieving our goal.” He doesn’t say which goal; so I have to assume he’s referring to the goal of establishing democracy in Iraq. Protecting democracy is what makes it sound like an ‘offensive campaign’. A goal as lofty as democracy naturally implies a broad range of supporting activities ..that can be carried out in many different ways. For instance, lets say military officers decide that, in order to achieve ‘the goal’, they need to secure the borders more aggressively. Does that mean it’s open season on Iranian travel agents who are trying to help people entering Iraq from neighboring countries ..? Sound farfetched ..? .. it’s already happened. By using ‘democracy’ as a rational for killing Iranians, President Bush, opens up an offensive campaign against Iranian nationals.

Note: If Bush didn’t actually mean ‘democracy’ .. and I stick to a more literal interpretation of what he said ..then I have to conclude that it’s OK to kill Iranians who simply have the misfortune of getting in our way ..which is equally vague and open to interpretation.