George Carlin & PTSD

George Carlin quote:

"I don't like words that hide the truth. I don't like words that conceal reality. I don't like euphemisms, or euphemistic language. And American English is loaded with euphemisms.

Cause Americans have a lot of trouble dealing with reality. Americans have trouble facing the truth, so they invent the kind of a soft language to protect themselves from it, and it gets worse with every generation. For some reason, it just keeps getting worse. I'll give you an example of that.

There's a condition in combat. Most people know about it. It's when a fighting person's nervous system has been stressed to it's absolute peak and maximum. Can't take anymore input. The nervous system has either (click) snapped or is about to snap.

In the first world war, that condition was called shell shock. Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables, shell shock. Almost sounds like the guns themselves.

That was seventy years ago. Then a whole generation went by and the second world war came along and very same combat condition was called battle fatigue. Four syllables now. Takes a little longer to say. Doesn't seem to hurt as much. Fatigue is a nicer word than shock. Shell shock! Battle fatigue.

Then we had the war in Korea, 1950. Madison avenue was riding high by that time, and the very same combat condition was called operational exhaustion. Hey, we're up to eight syllables now! And the humanity has been squeezed completely out of the phrase. It's totally sterile now. Operational exhaustion. Sounds like something that might happen to your car.

Then of course, came the war in Viet Nam, which has only been over for about sixteen or seventeen years, and thanks to the lies and deceits surrounding that war, I guess it's no surprise that the very same condition was called post-traumatic stress . Still eight syllables, but we've added a hyphen! And the pain is completely buried under jargon. Post-traumatic stress disorder.

I'll bet you if we'd of still been calling it shell shock, some of those Viet Nam veterans might have gotten the attention they needed at the time. I'll betcha. I'll betcha."

Tags: Carlin, George, PTSD

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Comment by Bobbie on July 13, 2011 at 12:18pm: That vedio was heart breaking but i believe it is true, shame on anyone that turns their back on a vet from any war. this vedio brings out the truth that ever american should fall on their knees and beg GOD'S forgiveness, then go out and find a vet that should be thanked and praised for our freedom.

MY LORD AND MY GOD I BEG YOUR FORGIVENESS FOR OUR AMERICA THAT HAS LET THE VETS DOWN, AND ASK IN JESUS NAME TO PLEASE BLESS OUR MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE SERVED AND ARE STILL SERVING. MY LORD PLEASE SHELTER THEM ALL IN YOUR LOVING ARMS.

Comment by greg braun on April 2, 2010 at 12:49pm: PTSD,THE MEDAL OF COMBAT THAT YOU CARRY IN YOUR HEART FOR EVER.

Comment by kenyatta yamel on April 2, 2010 at 10:15am: I agree, we need to rename PTSD so that people get a better understanding of what veterans are experiencing

Comment by Nathaniel Brown on April 1, 2010 at 3:47pm: This is so true.

Comment by jim eichelberger on April 1, 2010 at 12:13pm: i'll betcha, i'll betcha!!! for alot of us, our lives could have been positive! and for 150,000+ they might...just might be alive today to get the attention they needed!