Here is a repost from over 11 years ago. I cringed every time I heard the phrase “Boots on the ground” all throughout the Iraq and Afghanistan wars so as soon as I had a place to publicly put something on the record I wanted to say something about it. Now that I’m hearing this phrase everyday regarding Trump’s reckless and poorly planned war of choice in Iran I felt the need to repost it in hopes it might reach a few more people and persuade them to stop using this extremely unpleasant phrase.

January 3rd 2015 “Boots on the ground” — First “collateral damage” as a euphemism for innocent victims of what is oftentimes criminally negligent manslaughter and now this. Military euphemisms are dangerous because they make war seem less repulsive than it really is therefore we should all oppose their use. I suggest we replace this term with “troops on the ground” or even “sons and daughters on the ground” in order to show what’s really at stake because boots can be replaced, people can’t.