Words About War. "From George Orwell's critique of the language of totalitarian regimes to today, discussions of war and foreign policy have been full of dehumanizing euphemisms, bloodless jargon, little-known government acronyms, and troubling metaphors that hide warfare's damage. This guide aims to help people write and talk about war and foreign policy more accurately, more honestly, and in ways people outside the elite Washington, DC foreign policy "blob" can understand." Link to the PDF.

Language Use about Gaza (PDF): "While exposing the genocide of Palestinians, it is critical to continually challenge and resist language that is used to justify the violence and render Palestinians killable. To this end, we offer ten urgent suggestions. Above all we advise using clear, accurate, honest language that describes the flesh and bone impacts of this mass violence. We urge the use of language that centers the humanity of those harmed while resisting simplistic, binary us vs. them, good vs. evil narratives that continue to be circulated by governments and media, humanizing some and dehumanizing others." Developed by David Vine, Professor of Political Anthropology at American University, and author of several books critical of US Militarism & Foreign Policy I was inspired to post this after hearing an interview with Prof. Vine on KOOP Radio, Austin's local community radio station.

Liza sings a song while signing. This is new to me. A beautiful Charles Aznavour song. 1992 Radio City Music Hall.

Shakespeare toys with numerous European languages throughout his work, including Italian, French, Spanish, and Dutch. Often, these are spoken in thick accents, with comedic pronunciation. The same holds true for his use of the various British dialects—Scots, Welsh, Cornish, and Irish—heard in scruffy taverns or high courts. In Henry V, soldiers fracture the King's English while the king himself and a French princess descend into a comical Franglais courtship. Yet, no matter how garbled the speech, playgoers can usually identify distinct languages and dialects—that is, until they bump up against what scholars have called the "invented language," "unintelligible gabble," and "'Boskos thromuldo boskos' mumbo-jumbo" in his comedy "All's Well That Ends Well." from I Understand Thee, and Can Speak Thy Tongue: California Unlocks Shakespeare's Gibberish [LARB]