We are accustomed to these sobriquets; to phrases such as "collateral damage" and "friendly fire" and "pre-emptive strikes". We have almost ceased to notice when suicide bombers are described as "cowards". The abuse of language is part of warfare. Long ago, Voltaire told us that we invent words to conceal truths. More recently, Orwell pointed out to us the dangers of Newspeak.
But there was something about those playfully grinning warplane faces that went beyond deception and distortion into the land of madness. A nation that can allow those faces to be painted as an image on its national aeroplanes has regressed into unimaginable irresponsibility. A nation that can paint those faces on death machines must be insane.
Ummmm... correct me if I'm wrong, but painting characters on warplanes, dates back at least as far as WWII, and is not a uniquely American custom.
Beat me to it!
The practice is universal...though we Americans made it look good. Of course, our major offense was putting a maw on some aircraft and pinup girls or cartoon characters on others. I guess we should have been following Japan's lead and instead put haiku poetry on them celebrating suicide for the Japanese Emperor. (Oh wait...I forgot...according to Ms. Drabble, we're the Imperialists! Silly me.)