Friday, April 25, 2008
"Building confidence and trust"
You have to love euphemisms. The US Navy has just announced the reestablishment of its Fourth Fleet, presaging an increased US presence in the Caribbean and Latin America. And how does the U.S. Navy describe that?
"This change increases our emphasis in the region on employing naval forces to build confidence and trust among nations through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests," said [Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of Navy operations].Yeah, I'm sure that's just what the people of Latin America are thinking when they see U.S. warships floating off their shores - "confidence and trust."
Rear Admiral James Stevenson, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, was a bit more honest than Roughead:
The fleet could "certainly bring a lot more stature to the area and increase our ability to get things done," Stevenson said.Yes, they'd like to "get things done," alright. "Things" that don't have anything to do with "confidence" or "trust."
