surge protection

i truly resent folk who play games with human lives. word games are no exception, and frank luntz is the amoral genius behind a lot of bloodshed.

i don't know if luntz gave curious george the idea to say "surge," but it's the kind of word he might've thought of as a rhetorical device to generate support for a troop buildup.

it sounds vaguely comforting, like gentle waves roll in, then swell into a surge, then go out again.

but the surge isn't the part going out, only the increase, so "troop surge" doesn't necessarily imply they'll leave anytime soon. we may just be talking about escalation, not redeployment.

and don't forget how else we use the word. a power surge can blow out your pc. a storm surge can destroy a city. neither thought is in any way comforting.

you guard against one by plugging a surge protector into your electric outlet. you guard against the other by running like hell.