List of wars on concepts
Encyclopedia
Wars on concepts are high-resource efforts to eradicate a perceived problem that use a war metaphor
to rally support. These wars differ from more conventional wars in that they do not have a defined country or person as the opponent, but rather a concept. Thus, it is impossible for the opponent to surrender, so it is possible to continue investment forever.
offered the phrase "War on Cancer" in 1971 to highlight the passage of the National Cancer Act, which attempted to unify efforts to treat and eventually eliminate cancer
.
journalist Peter Brimelow
in 1999, the concept of a "war on Christmas
" only entered the public consciousness in the United States and Canada
during the early-to-mid-2000s, mainly due to an exposure of the issue by American
commentator Bill O`Reilly
.
It was claimed by Brimelow, O'Reilly, and a variety of prominent media figures and regular citizens alike, that mention and celebration of the Christmas holiday was being increasingly censored
, avoided, or discouraged by advertisers
, retailers, government (prominently school
s), and other public and secular organizations.
Rather than referencing "Christmas" directly, it was claimed that the secular entities and influences would reference more generic terminology such as "holiday(s)", or "winter". Several terms fitting this description have since become well-known neologisms throughout North America
, including "holiday tree" (replacing "Christmas tree
"), "winter break" (replacing "Christmas break"), and "holiday season" (replacing "Christmas season").
The "War on Drugs" is a term used by many politicians, notably U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon
and Ronald Reagan
, to describe funding for anti-drug efforts, both in terms of law enforcement and social programs. The War on Drugs helped justify actual wars such as Operation Just Cause, the U.S. invasion of Panama
in 1989. In the U.S. federal government, the leader of this effort is often referred to as the Drug Czar
.
Lyndon B. Johnson
invoked the phrase "The War on Poverty" during his State of the Union
address on January 8, 1964. With a national poverty
rate just under 20 percent, the War on Poverty proposed massive governmental social programs to reduce that number to a tolerable amount. The resultant legislation was the Economic Opportunity Act, which established the Office of Economic Opportunity
(OEO) to administrate the local application of federal funds The phrase was also famously mentioned in Tupac Shakur's
Grammy
-nominated 1998 song "Changes" with the line "Instead of War on Poverty/They got a War on Drugs so police can bother me".
in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
against the United States. It describes a large array of military and law enforcement programs involving at least two actual wars (the current war in Afghanistan
and the Second Gulf War) and the USA PATRIOT Act
's increase of police and federal powers against people suspected of terrorist involvement.
The War on Terrorism is sometimes linked to a suggested War against Islam, a perceived campaign to hinder the activities of those who practice the Muslim
faith.
War as metaphor
The use of war as metaphor is a literary trope of long-standing. An example is the Culture War in the United States. In Metaphors We Live By, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson describe Jimmy Carter's application of "war" as metaphor for the energy crisis of 1974.In discussing the morality of the use...
to rally support. These wars differ from more conventional wars in that they do not have a defined country or person as the opponent, but rather a concept. Thus, it is impossible for the opponent to surrender, so it is possible to continue investment forever.
The War on Cancer
U.S. President Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
offered the phrase "War on Cancer" in 1971 to highlight the passage of the National Cancer Act, which attempted to unify efforts to treat and eventually eliminate cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
The War on Christmas
Although a close variant of the term "War on Christmas" is believed to have first been coined by British AmericanBritish American
British Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in the United Kingdom . The term is seldom used by people to refer to themselves and is used primarily as a demographic or historical research term...
journalist Peter Brimelow
Peter Brimelow
Peter Brimelow is a British American financial journalist, author, and founder of VDARE. Brimelow has been the editor of many publications, including Forbes, the Financial Post, and National Review...
in 1999, the concept of a "war on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
" only entered the public consciousness in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the early-to-mid-2000s, mainly due to an exposure of the issue by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
commentator Bill O`Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
.
It was claimed by Brimelow, O'Reilly, and a variety of prominent media figures and regular citizens alike, that mention and celebration of the Christmas holiday was being increasingly censored
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, avoided, or discouraged by advertisers
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, retailers, government (prominently school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s), and other public and secular organizations.
Rather than referencing "Christmas" directly, it was claimed that the secular entities and influences would reference more generic terminology such as "holiday(s)", or "winter". Several terms fitting this description have since become well-known neologisms throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, including "holiday tree" (replacing "Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
"), "winter break" (replacing "Christmas break"), and "holiday season" (replacing "Christmas season").
The War on Drugs
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, to describe funding for anti-drug efforts, both in terms of law enforcement and social programs. The War on Drugs helped justify actual wars such as Operation Just Cause, the U.S. invasion of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
in 1989. In the U.S. federal government, the leader of this effort is often referred to as the Drug Czar
Drug Czar
Drug Czar is an informal name for the person who directs drug-control policies in the United States, following the U.S. use of the 'czar' term. The 'drug czar' title was first published in a 1982 news story by United Press International which reported that “Senators... voted 62–34 to establish a...
.
The War on Poverty
United States PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
invoked the phrase "The War on Poverty" during his State of the Union
State Of The Union
"State Of The Union" is the debut single from British singer-songwriter David Ford. It had previously been featured as a demo on his official website, before appearing as a track on a CD entitled "Apology Demos EP," only on sale at live shows....
address on January 8, 1964. With a national poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
rate just under 20 percent, the War on Poverty proposed massive governmental social programs to reduce that number to a tolerable amount. The resultant legislation was the Economic Opportunity Act, which established the Office of Economic Opportunity
Office of Economic Opportunity
The Office of Economic Opportunity was the agency responsible for administering most of the War on Poverty programs created as part of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society legislative agenda.- History :...
(OEO) to administrate the local application of federal funds The phrase was also famously mentioned in Tupac Shakur's
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated 1998 song "Changes" with the line "Instead of War on Poverty/They got a War on Drugs so police can bother me".
The War on Terrorism
The phrase "War on Terrorism" (or "War on Terror") was invoked by President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
against the United States. It describes a large array of military and law enforcement programs involving at least two actual wars (the current war in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and the Second Gulf War) and the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
's increase of police and federal powers against people suspected of terrorist involvement.
The War on Terrorism is sometimes linked to a suggested War against Islam, a perceived campaign to hinder the activities of those who practice the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
faith.
Other uses of the phrasing
- The War on Crime, the campaign in the 1930's by J. Edgar HooverJ. Edgar HooverJohn Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
's Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
against gangsters. - War on WantWar on WantWar on Want is an anti-poverty charity based in London, England. It seeks to highlight the needs of poverty-stricken areas around the world and lobbies governments and international agencies to tackle problems as well as raising public awareness of the concerns of developing nations while...
is an anti-poverty charityCharitable organizationA charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
based in Great Britain. - The War on TerraWar on TerraThe War on Terra is a catchphrase that refers to the environmental protection policies of the United States and other countries, mainly in relation to global warming. It is a pun on the word "terror" , as Terra is Latin for Earth. The phrase was first used by protesters who objected to U.S....
, a pun off the name War on TerrorWar on TerrorThe War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, is a term popularized by The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
to describe environmentally destructive policies of the United States. - The concept is parodied in the Australian comedy series The Chaser's War on EverythingThe Chaser's War on EverythingThe Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
. - Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on JournalismOutfoxedOutfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism is a 2004 documentary film by filmmaker Robert Greenwald that criticises the Fox News Channel, and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, claiming that the channel is used to promote and advocate right-wing views...
is a documentary film critical of Fox News Channel. - The Republican War on ScienceThe Republican War on ScienceThe Republican War on Science is a book by Chris C. Mooney, an American journalist who focuses on the politics of science policy. In the book, Mooney discusses the Republican Party leadership's stance on science, and in particular that of the George W...
is a book which argues that the Republican Party is playing politics with science. - The War on Britain's Jews?The War on Britain's Jews?The War on Britain's Jews? is a 2007 documentary film by British journalist, broadcaster, writer and Daily Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 television on 9 July 2007.- Overview :...
is a documentary film about antisemitism. - The War on DemocracyThe War on DemocracyThe War on Democracy is a 2007 documentary film directed by Christopher Martin and John Pilger. Focusing on the political state of Latin America, the film is intended as a rebuke of both the United States' intervention in foreign countries' domestic politics, and its "War on Terrorism"...
is a documentary film critical of U.S. policies in Latin America. - War on WarWar on War"War on War" is a 2002 single by American band Wilco from their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.-Track listing:#"War on War" – 3:49#"The Good Part" – 2:47#"I'm the Man Who Loves You" – 3:36...
is a 2002 single by the American band WilcoWilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
from their album Yankee Hotel FoxtrotYankee Hotel FoxtrotYankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth album by Chicago-based rock band Wilco. The album was completed in 2001, but Reprise Records, a Warner Music Group label, refused to release it. Wilco acquired the rights to the album when they left the label. In September 2001, Wilco streamed the entire album...
. - War on Liquids refers to the ban and limitations on liquids and gels on commercial airline flights by the United States Transportation Security AdministrationTransportation Security AdministrationThe Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
. - The War on the War on Drugs is a 2002 anti-propaganda propaganda documentary that uses satire and the propagandist style to poke fun at certain absurdities in old anti-drug films.