It is not an excursion. It is a war—an incursion at a minimum.
According to Merriam-Webster, "the primary difference between incursion and excursion lies in the direction of movement and intent: an incursion is a hostile or forced entry into a place, while an excursion is a relaxed going out or trip."
Yup, this is an incursion. Not an excursion. Nothing relaxing or fun about it.
I watched a video of ICE actions that occurred on Thursday, less than 6 minutes from my office, here in Vermont.
So upsetting. I happened to be driving past while it was still happening. Countless Ice agents and police confronting protesters. In VERMONT. The videos of these actions are disturbing.
No place is safe.
If you are struggling with all of this, I am with you.
BTW, thank you, Seth Meyers, for pointing out the ridiculousness of the language being used regarding this war.
Thank you. You put your finger on what matters most: the lie is in the word. “Excursion” is not description. It is propaganda. It is the softening of force into something casual and manageable so the public can keep looking away. And yes—when armed power shows up in places people once imagined as insulated, the fantasy of distance starts to crack.
Thank you, Dr. Christine. It has been surmised that Donny Demento confused “incursion” with “excursion” and keeps repeating the wrong word, ad nauseam. His babysitters were afraid to correct him and now it’s too late. Sigh 🙄
Yes. Refusal matters, but so does breaking the spell for people still trapped inside it. The hardest part is that many are not uninformed so much as trained — by propaganda, fear, and loyalty — not to see. That is why naming the lie plainly matters.
I will no longer be obedient, people pleasing or understanding of anyone who watches or quotes from Faux news, NY Post or any other right wing source. They cannot be persuaded to change their beliefs or opinions. They are lost souls. Call it like it is, speak only the Truth that comes from reliable sources and avoid MAGAs at all costs.
Exactly. The demand is always that everyone else stay calm, patient, nuanced, and obedient while the propaganda machine keeps grinding. I’m done confusing endurance with virtue.
My Dad is gone 9 yrs now but we were at odds until his end because of Faux news!
An educated man brainwashed and willing to forfeit his Daughter over beliefs spoon fed to him.
I often wonder what his opinions would be now but somehow I know. My Dad was Canadian and could note vote in the US but always made me feel inadequate for being a true blue Democrat.
I’m sorry. That is the wound I was trying to name here — not just the propaganda itself, but the way it rearranges loyalty inside a family until a father can doubt his own daughter before he doubts the screen.
This piece is really about language doing political work. Call a war an “excursion,” and suddenly bombs sound like a sightseeing tour. Governments have always known that if you soften the words, people tolerate the reality.
History is full of these euphemisms: “collateral damage,” “enhanced interrogation,” “surgical strikes.” The language gets cleaner while the consequences stay the same.
It’s amazing how often the most powerful weapon in politics isn’t a missile. It’s a dictionary.
It is not an excursion. It is a war—an incursion at a minimum.
According to Merriam-Webster, "the primary difference between incursion and excursion lies in the direction of movement and intent: an incursion is a hostile or forced entry into a place, while an excursion is a relaxed going out or trip."
Yup, this is an incursion. Not an excursion. Nothing relaxing or fun about it.
I watched a video of ICE actions that occurred on Thursday, less than 6 minutes from my office, here in Vermont.
So upsetting. I happened to be driving past while it was still happening. Countless Ice agents and police confronting protesters. In VERMONT. The videos of these actions are disturbing.
No place is safe.
If you are struggling with all of this, I am with you.
BTW, thank you, Seth Meyers, for pointing out the ridiculousness of the language being used regarding this war.
Thank you. You put your finger on what matters most: the lie is in the word. “Excursion” is not description. It is propaganda. It is the softening of force into something casual and manageable so the public can keep looking away. And yes—when armed power shows up in places people once imagined as insulated, the fantasy of distance starts to crack.
Thank you, Dr. Christine. It has been surmised that Donny Demento confused “incursion” with “excursion” and keeps repeating the wrong word, ad nauseam. His babysitters were afraid to correct him and now it’s too late. Sigh 🙄
So many opus know to say no. We must find ways to convince others who still support the regime to learn the truth and then say no as well.
Yes. Refusal matters, but so does breaking the spell for people still trapped inside it. The hardest part is that many are not uninformed so much as trained — by propaganda, fear, and loyalty — not to see. That is why naming the lie plainly matters.
So many know to say no. We must find ways to convince others who still support the regime to learn the truth and then say no as well.
I will no longer be obedient, people pleasing or understanding of anyone who watches or quotes from Faux news, NY Post or any other right wing source. They cannot be persuaded to change their beliefs or opinions. They are lost souls. Call it like it is, speak only the Truth that comes from reliable sources and avoid MAGAs at all costs.
Exactly. The demand is always that everyone else stay calm, patient, nuanced, and obedient while the propaganda machine keeps grinding. I’m done confusing endurance with virtue.
My Dad is gone 9 yrs now but we were at odds until his end because of Faux news!
An educated man brainwashed and willing to forfeit his Daughter over beliefs spoon fed to him.
I often wonder what his opinions would be now but somehow I know. My Dad was Canadian and could note vote in the US but always made me feel inadequate for being a true blue Democrat.
I’m sorry. That is the wound I was trying to name here — not just the propaganda itself, but the way it rearranges loyalty inside a family until a father can doubt his own daughter before he doubts the screen.
This piece is really about language doing political work. Call a war an “excursion,” and suddenly bombs sound like a sightseeing tour. Governments have always known that if you soften the words, people tolerate the reality.
History is full of these euphemisms: “collateral damage,” “enhanced interrogation,” “surgical strikes.” The language gets cleaner while the consequences stay the same.
It’s amazing how often the most powerful weapon in politics isn’t a missile. It’s a dictionary.
As a guy who likes a lot of manly stuff this is still alarming.