Quote:
Originally Posted by driveway
I completely understand where it's coming from, but could we refrain from using language like "Orcs" and "Ivans"?
I am profoundly on the side of Ukraine and wish that the US, Canada, and our NATO allies would start saying things like "We're going to support as long as it takes to win" and to define winning as a full return to the borders established in 1992.
The language of war: Ivan, Jerry, Tommy, Charlie, etc. is specifically for the purpose of dehumanizing the enemy to make it easier for soldiers to kill when they need to. It strips away any kind of individual identity and replaces it with a bland group moniker. "Orc" is particuarly strong as it completely obliterates the humanity of the person onto whom it is placed.
I do not want to 'both sides' this war. The Russians a clearly wrong and need to be defeated. However, even if they are evil, they are not inhuman, and us sitting in our living rooms thousands of miles away don't need to dehumanize them. If a soldier feels the need to use this language in order to psychologically handle the situation in which they find themselves, sure. But on a hockey forum? It's kinda gross. I'd probaby not object to Huntingwhale or Pointman using languge like that, but I don't think any of the rest of us have that level of direct engagement with this conflict, regardless of how much of our day and media diet is engaged with consuming it.
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Are you aware of the scale of the missile attacks happening right now? Putin is probably upset his offensive isn't going well in Bakhmut so he's launching a massive missile strike across Ukraine.
What are they if not Orcs?
They will be pariahs on the world stage for 100 years.