When it comes to describing our military engagements across the world, Orwellian seems to be the language of choice for the US government. They consistently use the alchemy of bureaucratic language to transform words with clear meaning into jargon. This baffles any attempt to truly inform the public and keeps our national defense insidery and anti-democratic.

Take the phrase “boots on the ground”. The literal meaning of the words seems clear enough, and the colloquial use of the phrase – defined as “American forces deployed to a foreign country” – is unambiguous. So why was there such an awkward debate over this phrase after Barack Obama’s announcement last month that special forces advisers would be deployed to Syria?

It’s important to remember that if American “boots on the ground” was defined by actual boots on real ground, then it would be safe to say that we’re currently engaged in a worldwide deployment. America has bases in over 80 countriesaround the globe.

Read the article “‘Boots on the Ground’ and Other Military Jargon are Designed to Confuse” on theguardian.com.