As of roughly 6:00 a.m. the headline on MSNBC.COM reads Spasm of violence jolts BaghdadI'm not sure this is the proper use of the word "spasm." Via Merriam-Webster online:
Main Entry: spasm
Pronunciation: 'spa-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English spasme, from Middle French, from Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmos, from span to draw, pull
1 : an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction
2 : a sudden violent and temporary effort or emotion
There's nothing temporary, abnormal or sudden about violence in Iraq. If the media weren't stricken with institutional ADD they might realize that fact.
They must be using the geological time perspective. This spasm of violence is a Holocene occurence.
ReplyDeleteHa!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry - the insurgency is in its last throes. How do I know? The definition of Throe is thus:
ReplyDeletethroe
n.
1. A severe pang or SPASM of pain, as in childbirth. See Synonyms at pain.
2. throes A condition of agonizing struggle or trouble: a country in the throes of economic collapse.