“Should we allow generals and politicians to hide behind phrases such as ‘friendly fire’?”
“As revelations of deaths of coalition troops caused by allies surface in Iraq and Afghanistan, an issue for editors is whether the phrase “friendly fire” should have quote marks around it.
“It is a military term, designed to shield the horrors of death and prevent animosity towards a war mission, argues one camp; so why should we be the agents of the phrase’s recognition? It is as if we accept its premise – that it is just one of those things that happens in war, and we should just, you know, get over it.”
http://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2010/oct/29/friendly-fire-mind-your-language
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