- Fri Apr 10, 2015 6:18 pm
#56526
I don't think "hyperbole" is the right word here because hyperbole is an exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
I think Cruz DOES expect the claim to be taken literally.
And I do think he means it, though it is just campaign politics on his part.
The thing I can't buy into is that an attack against a military base can be called "terrorism".
First, a military base is a legitimate target for an enemy of the U.S., if that's what you perceive the guy to be.
Terrorism is something directed against a civilian population, not an army.
Against an army it would be called "an attack".
Second, it is unlikely that any soldiers are/were actually "terrorized" by such violence. They are trained to face it as part of their job and to deal with it.
They don't sit quaking in their boots, immobilized, and fearing another attack as civilians might. They confront it with courage.
A single man with a gun cannot "terrorize" the greatest army in history. Such a claim renders the language meaningless.
This situation doesn't fit any convenient pigeonhole of the past, thus the need for latitude in applying the criteria for Purple Heart eligibility.
Besides, it is unlikely that the President personally had anything to do with the awards. That is usually decided by a different pay grade.
And it should occur to you guys that a Commander in Chief publicly recognizing the attack as "terrorism" only plays into the hands of radical terror groups. Once it is acknowledged as a successful terrorist attack, Al Qaida and such ilk can then brag about how successful they are at striking to the very heart of "The Great Satan".
Why would any responsible CinC hand such powerful recruiting and morale-building propaganda to these groups on a silver platter? It would be stupid to do so, not to mention disrespectful of the fortitude of the soldiers involved.
Publicly 'shrugging it off' is more like swatting an annoying gnat.
It is our military being unconcerned by a futile threat.
Don't voluntarily hand these guys psychological power over us.