In defense of the War Department

Euphemisms distort thought , and no entities are more adept at producing euphemisms than governments. President Donald Trump’s rebranding of the Department of Defense as the Department of War is a worthy blow against government euphemism. Perhaps it can be followed by clearer thinking about the military’s role at home and abroad.

President George Washington created the War Department as a Cabinet-level agency in 1789 to oversee the Army. It was joined by a Cabinet-level Navy Department in 1798. In 1947, the service branches were merged and headed by a defense secretary. Two years later, Congress created the Defense Department, headquartered in the Pentagon.

Trump’s executive order cannot undo the legislation enacted in 1949, but it authorizes “Department of War” for use in labels