When we were fighting communism, OK, they had mass murderers and gulags, but they were white men and they were sane. Now we're up against absolutely insane savages.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker contrasts past enemies described as sane white men with current enemies described as insane savages.
- In plain terms
- Old enemies were described as rational while current ones are called irrational savages.
- What can you take from it?
- Dehumanizing language shapes public perception of conflict.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does language affect war support?
- What defines a reasonable enemy?
Another view
This comparison uses racially charged language that ignores enemy complexity.
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