Thursday, August 28, 2008

Side Effect

(n.) The primary effect of imbibing a pharmaceutical concoction, to be distinguished from the effect under which the drug is marketed.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Torture

(n.) The practice of applying physical or psychological suffering at such an acute level as to terrorize the victim into surrendering his will to the subject. This has the added effect of terrorizing all those connected to him as well.
The practice of torture is often masked as a method of extracting information or a confession out of an enemy combatant. This is false. We can see the practice of torture following the former definition in everything from crucifixions to the Spanish Inquisition, to the famous torture of Han Solo, after which he said "they never even asked me any questions."
(v.) To apply the practice of torture. This can be done consciously or unconsciously, such as through repeated commercial breaks during Olympic coverage.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Enhanced Interrogation Techniques

(n.) 1. Torture. 2. Torture, with an added psychological element that since what's happening to you isn't officially classified as torture, nobody is coming to help you.

Timeline (also Time Horizon)

(n.) A term invoked to convey a clear message that the supposed goal is never going to actually happen.

Sectarian Violence

(n.) 1. Civil War 2. Ethnic cleansing. Both phenomena are generally instigated by an invading power to maintain order.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Human rights abuse

(n.) 1. A term an imperial power invokes whenever it wants to either invade another country or wrest a country from a rival imperial power's influence. 2. A concern that's a defining characteristic of an enemy of the state.

Libertarian

Someone who likes to pretend that capitalism doesn't require huge militaries and prisons to maintain its existence.

Market Forces

(n. pl) Code-speak to pretend that high prices really aren't a result of big business speculation or cartel behvaior. Origin: The tight market for university positions forces academics to write long, eloquent excuses for why we're getting screwed, so they can curry favor with publishers.

Dissident

(n.)A foreign national who bravely attacks his nation's sovereignty to kiss up to imperial interests, usually in hopes of a book deal or faculty position.