This came across PURTOPOI and I thought some of you might be interested. The file mentioned has a lot of control codes embedded in the text which makes it difficult to read, but I have an ascii copy where I edited out all of that. The text has not been edited. If you're interested. If not, don't read past my sig. Business as usual as usual as business usually is . . . (usually) """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" If I had a gun, I'd be a cowboy | Edward G. Looney If I had a cross, I'd be a priest | Sometimes strange, or not If I had hair, I'd celebrate | <VB7R0014@SMUVM1> I have crosshairs on my gun. | 221 Perkins Admin Bldg - Saint Yippee Ty Yay | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, Texas 75275-0135 Fly by the seat of WHOSE pants??! | (214) 692-3229 (or 3662) """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am forwarding the following message which appeared in Humanist. The topic as well as the author may be of interest. Sigrid Peterson [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] ******************************************************************************* ** Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0870. Tuesday, 8 Jan 1991. Date: Sun, 6 Jan 91 22:19:08 -0800 From: [log in to unmask] (George Lakoff) Subject: Use of Metaphor in Justifications for War I am enclosing a work that I would like to be made available to members of the Humanist Network. It is a piece I have just done on the use of metaphor in the justifications given for war in the gulf. The introduction explains why I am posting it to the net rather than just publishing it in the usual fashion. Thank you. George Lakoff Linguistics Dept. U. of California at Berkeley December 31, 1990 To Friends and Colleagues on the Net: From George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics, University of California at Berkeley ([log in to unmask]) January 15 is getting very close. As things now stand, President Bush seems to have convinced most of the country that war in the gulf is morally justified, and that it makes sense to think of ``winning'' such a war. I have just completed a study of the way the war has been justified. I have found that the justification is based very largely on a metaphorical system of thought in general use for understanding foreign policy. I have analyzed the system, checked it to see what the metaphors hide, and have checked to the best of my ability to see whether the metaphors fit the situation in the gulf, even if one accepts them. So far as I can see, the justification for war, point by point, is anything but clear. The paper I have written is relatively short -- 7,000 words. Yet it is far too long for the op-ed pages, and January 15 is too close for journal or magazine publication. The only alternative I have for getting these ideas out is via the various computer networks. While there is still time, it is vital that debate over the justification for war be seriously revived. I am therefore asking your help. Please look over the enclosed paper. If you find it of value, please send it on to members of your newsgroup, to friends, and to other newsgroups. Feel free to distribute it to anyone interested. More importantly, if you feel strongly about this issue, start talking and writing about it yourself. Computer networks have never before played an important role in a matter of vital public importance. The time has come. The media have failed to question what should be questioned. It is up to us to do so. There are a lot of us connected by these networks, and together we have enormous influence. Just imagine the media value of a major computerized debate over the impending war! We have a chance to participate in the greatest experiment ever conducted in vital, widespread, instantaneous democratic communication. Tens of thousands of lives are at stake. During the next two weeks there is nothing more important that we can send over these networks than a fully open and informed exchange of views about the war. Here is the first contribution. Pass it on! -------------------- [A complete version of this paper is now available through the fileserver, s.v. LAKOFF METAPHOR. You may obtain a copy by issuing the command -- GET filename filetype HUMANIST -- either interactively or as a batch-job, addressed to [log in to unmask] Thus on a VM/CMS system, you say interactively: TELL LISTSERV AT BROWNVM GET filename filetype HUMANIST; if you are not on a VM/CMS system, send mail to ListServ@Brownvm with the GET command as the first and only line. For more details see the "Guide to Humanist". Problems should be reported to David Sitman, A79@TAUNIVM, after you have consulted the Guide and tried all appropriate alternatives.]