Bring on the Newspeak

The new head of the department of homeland security now refers to “man-caused” disasters instead of terrorist attacks. Why, you might ask? “That is perhaps only a nuance, but it demonstrates that we want to move away from the politics of fear toward a policy of being prepared for all risks that can occur.”

But if Napolitano wants to change our psychology, I say give it a try. I guess that means that coastal Southerners should prepare for those risky a hurricanes, without embracing the politics of fear that hurricanes might bring. Or is hurricane no longer an acceptable term? And are crimes against humanity “man-caused” disasters? How about genocide?

Also, Anthony Sacramone notes the patriarchalism in that statement, which is a slur to female suicide bombers everywhere. Oh, how forgetful of me. It’s a slur to the female causes of “man-caused” disasters.

Next
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Lift My Chin, Lord 

Jennifer Reeser

Lift my chin, Lord,Say to me,“You are not whoYou feared to be,Not Hecate, quite,With howling sound,Torch held…

Letters

Two delightful essays in the March issue, by Nikolas Prassas (“Large Language Poetry,” March 2025) and Gary…

Spring Twilight After Penance 

Sally Thomas

Let’s say you’ve just comeFrom confession. Late sunPours through the budding treesThat mark the brown creek washing Itself…