The use of war as metaphor is a longstanding literary and rhetorical trope. In political usage, warmetaphors are used to manage a perceived societal problem, with the concept taking the place of an individual or state enemy in true war. The war metaphor is sometimes invoked to pursue ordinary domestic politics.[1]
Philosopher James Childress describes the use of war as a metaphor as a dilemma: "In debating social policy through the language of war, we often forget the moral reality of war."[2] One fundamental problem is that it is often unclear when the "war" is over.[3]Simon Jenkins, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, said that "Never, ever, should a government use war as a metaphor in a time of peace."[4]
"Cold War" (1947—1991), a period of hostility between the two dominant superpowers at the time, the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War in itself was never a war, but several proxy wars were carried out by both sides over the period.
The Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) in China was launched as a "War against Revisionism"[3] Marshall Lin Biao is given credit for inspiring war metaphors when he said in 1965, at the outset of the movement, "The battlefield of the Cultural Revolution cannot call a ceasefire. This is a war without that option."[5]
"War on Terrorism" or "War on Terror"[1] (2001–2013) coined in 2001 by then United States presidentGeorge W. Bush after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to mobilize an international military campaign. In 2013, President Barack Obama announced that the United States was no longer pursuing a War on Terror, as the military focus should be on specific enemies rather than a tactic.
Some wars are not proclaimed but rather a label used by adversaries:
"War against Islam" (also called the "War on Islam"), a term coined in the 1990s and popularized after 2001 to describe a perceived campaign to harm, weaken or annihilate the societal system of Islam, using military, economic, social and cultural means.
"War on Christmas", term in the US to describe perennial controversy occurring around Christmas
"War on Women", an expression in US politics used to describe certain Republican Party policies as a wide-scale effort to restrict women's rights, especially reproductive rights
"War on Democracy" from the title The War on Democracy, a 2007 documentary film directed by Christopher Martin and John Pilger
"War on Coal", a phrase used by the coal industry and its supporters to describe what they claim is an effort by the Obama administration to impose stringent regulations on coal power in the United States
"War on Science", used variously to describe academic postmodernism's criticism of objective reality[7] or political opposition to the conclusions of science.[8]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, repeated multiple times "We are at war".[9][10] The prime minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, also used the metaphor.[11] EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton said "We are at war with the virus. An economic war."[12] US president Donald Trump said "I'm a wartime president. This is a war — a different kind of war than we’ve ever had."[13] UK prime minister Boris Johnson said "We must act like any wartime government, and do whatever it takes to protect our economy."[14]
Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador, declared a "war on gangs" and a state of exception on Sunday 27 March 2022. Between then and 8 June 2022, more than 38,000 people were arrested of a population of 6,8M.[15]
Childress, James F. "The war metaphor in public policy"[2]
Steinert, Heinz. 2003. "The Indispensable Metaphor of War: On Populist Politics and the Contradictions of the State's Monopoly of Force," Theoretical Criminology7.3 (2003) p. 265-291.
Thomas, Ruth P. 1984. "War as metaphor in La Princesse de Montpensier", Forum for Modern Language Studies20.4 p. 323-332.
