The whole comprises the parts.

Al-Qaeda claims the Islamic State of Iraq is comprised of “Baghdad, Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, Ninawa, and in other parts of the governorate of Babel.”

I despise the phrase ‘comprised of’.

The whole comprise the parts.
The parts compose the whole.
The whole is composed of the parts.
Maybe one could correctly say that
The parts are comprised of the whole.
but I’ve never seen anyone use the word that way.

I am not one of those ancient grammarians who demands that a language remain fossilized as if in amber, and no new meanings for words ever arise. But when someone uses a word in such a way that it directly contradicts an existing meaning, that’s not a sign of a healthy language. Instead it threatens to make the word entirely useless.

People who try to use words that they hear more intelligent people use (but don’t understand themselves) seem to ascribe some power to the word itself to transform them from their ignorance. In that way they debase the effort that generations before them have made to construct tools for clear thinking, just as they destroy the accumulated spiritual capital of Civilization itself with their jihad.

So remember folks, if you say “comprised of”, the terrorists have already won.

A news story on Ha, how nice!
We’ve been rolling up a lot of the bad guys recently. This is great news.

thegreatbeast on March 4, 2007 at 5:35 PM

This all has been happening since the Surge began. Coincidence or cause-and-effect? I hope for the latter, but will take either one.

We were going to wait until tomorrow morning to start blogging again (and thank you all for being so patient while we worked some stuff out), but Hot Air has been following a couple of stories this weekend that you……

Violent incidents are still decreasing in number and impact in Baghdad. Yesterday for instance the only reported incident was the abduction of an adviser to the minister of defense by gunmen in western Baghdad. It was less than 24 hours until the security forces succeeded in freeing the abducted general and arresting 4 of his captors.

From ITM this morning.

Which must be done by Islamic “moderates” in some serious Reformation Council. Soon.

If not, it will mean the eventual annihilation of Islam as a going concern by the threatened Free World, as Nazi-ism had to be violently relegated to the ash-heap of history (except for neo-regurgitated loopy cranks in silly suits meeting in Ramada Inns to rail about the kind of Z.O.G. fantasies that spur on such insignificant fools).

Semi-seriously, I think it’s time to defrost some northern fillets I have in the freezer (all the walleyes are long gone) and open up a Spotted Cow or two.

OK, that’s it. When Allah becomes hopeful, you know we’re doomed.

Ali-Bubba on March 4, 2007 at 5:25 PM

Or at least domed (which in Milwaukee is the same thing because we got an inferior roof).

“Dare to hope.”

OK, that’s it. When Allah becomes hopeful, you know we’re doomed.

More Surge Please.

- The Cat