"Warmonger" .... the etymology of the word ......

[Stinky The Clown]

The word 'warmonger' gets used pretty freely. And it seems to be an equal opportunity pejorative.

The word is derived from two words, both of which remain fully intact in the very word: 'war' and 'monger'.

We all know what war is.

Monger is a mostly archaic form of the modern word 'seller'.

A warmonger, simply, is one who, for whatever reason, sells a war.

By this definition, Bush and Cheney fit the term to a Tee.

I can't think of any current, well-known Democrat who does. I can think of one former Democrat who might: Holy Joe Lieberman.

To see many of our well known leaders and personalities called 'warmonger' right here on a site that is for the express purpose of supporting Democrats makes my hair hurt.

Words have meaning. Let's try to keep that in mind. I share your outrage. I don't share the joy in blaming with false damnation.

[TexasProgresive]

1. I wish that everyone was as considerate of words

as you, Husb2Sparkly, words draw their power from their origins. When they get misused and that goes into the general lexicon then they become diminished. I see all kinds of words misused in various media. A couple of my favorites are celibacy - unmarried. (not refraining from sex, that's chaste) and decimate - to reduce by 10% (not to destroy).

[Jackpine Radical]

2. We purists hoe a hard row.

Forgive me as I point out, though that I think you mean "were," not "was."

[BeFree]

3. No absolutions here

"To see many of our well known leaders and personalities called 'warmonger' right here...."

Heck, those guys did sell the war. If the shoe fits, wear it.

The vote for IWR was just a closing argument in the long warmongering sales program. The budget allowing the military build up was the key selling point: without the build-up no war could have been carried out.

We had the war making machinery. Then we got: Bring It On!

Yeah, makes my hair hurt, too.

[LWolf]

4. So what do we call all of those "war-buyers?"

You know...all the reps in Congress who "bought" the war sold by Bush and Cheney?

What term means "war buyer?" Warpatrons? What?