Thoughts on the new twin memes: Aspirational Goal / Time Horizon

[stevedeshazer]

I'd never heard these terms until yesterday. It appears to be a euphemism for a 'withdrawal timeline'.

But the Bushies can't say 'timeline' without prefacing it with the word 'artificial', hence the new term.

This is being coupled with another new term, 'time horizon'.

Both terms appear in this Detroit Free Press blogpiece:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080718/BLOG2501/80718106/1068/OPINION

<snip>

Is the agreement announced today between President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki more than election-year positioning on both their parts?

Since they're using phrases like a "time horizon" for withdrawing troops, I’m having a hard time making heads or tails of this one. It's become increasingly clear, though, that Iraqis are insisting U.S. troops have to promise to leave sometime. So much for permanent bases in Iraq, if you’re inclined to believe that was part of the war plan all along.

Anyway, now we have another phrase for the Bush-years lexicon: This is an “aspirational goal.” As compared to a repulsive goal, maybe, or aspirational inertia?

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And this piece from yesterday:

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/international-affairs/iraq-troop-withdrawal-aspirational-goal-$1232445.htm

<snip>

Iraq troop withdrawal is 'aspirational goal'

Saturday, 19 Jul 2008 08:25

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino has said the US would not commit to a fixed timetable for withdrawing forces from Iraq.

In a statement on negotiations between American president George Bush and Iraqi president Nouri Maliki, the president's press secretary said conditions on the ground would determine the US presence in the country.

Ms Perino said an "arbitrary date" would not be set for pulling out troops from the Middle Eastern country but added that significant security improvements had nevertheless been achieved.

She stated: "Improving conditions should allow for the agreements now under negotiation to include a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals - such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces and the further reduction of US combat forces from Iraq."

The two heads of state are engaged in discussions over the length of the presence of US troops in the country - whose United Nations mandate will end on December 31st this year.

Ms Perino added that the two leaders recognised the important role played by Iraqi forces in maintaining security and also agreed that US forces should continue their overwatch rule alongside local forces.

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So, while simultaneously rejecting the language of 'fixed timetables' or 'arbitrary dates', the Bushies and the Republicans are twisting the language to their favor by changing the terms of the withdrawal debate.

I spent some time searching for the first appearance of this term, and the earliest I found in my casual search was this reference from an Australian blog in 2007, which mentions something called the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), which at the time seemed to be prevaricating on climate change:

http://n3xus6.blogspot.com/2007/06/aspirational-goals.html

<snip>

But when, eventually, a target is set, what kind of target will it be? Again, the language is illuminating.

Government would establish a long-term aspirational goal for emissions reductions.

An aspirational goal. A goal to aspire to, with its actual achievement of little importance. The term ‘aspirational’ gets bandied about by conservatives a lot in Australia, and it’s worth checking out what means in the current context.

According to the Cambridge dictionary the adjective ‘aspirational’ means:

Showing that you want to have more money and a higher social position than you now have

Could there be a better enunciation of our Right-wing government’s motives for a do-nothing carbon-trading scheme than that very definition?

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So, if I'm anywhere near the truth of the matter on this, 'aspirational goals' and 'time horizons' are pure fantasy and Orwellian speak.

I'm interested in what some other DUers think about this because I'm fascinated with this new message...and completely creeped out by it.

I'm reminded of the term, 'event horizon', which to me means the place you are just before you're sucked into a black hole!

[bigtree]

1. another stall

another con :kick:

[bdf]

2. What is Cheney saying?

If Darth Cheney is still muttering about Iraq having WMDs and Saddam having ties to Osama then it's a feint. If Darth is silent on the subject then it's a feint. If Cheney is talking about withdrawal then it's probably still a feint.

Back in 1992 Cheney (then SecDef) had Wolfowitz (then asst SecDef for Policy) draw up a plan. It basically said that since America was the sole remaining superpower they should invade Iraq, steal its oil and use it as a beachhead for invading the surrounding countries and stealing their oil. In 1995 PNAC was formed, consisting of all the crazies that held key positions in the first maladministration plus those outside the maladministration who advised it. In 1999 PNAC wrote to Clinton begging him to invade Iraq to steal its oil. In 2000 PNAC published a strategy paper saying essentially the same thing, but with wider goals (stealing everything from all over the world, but focusing first on Iraq's oil). That paper noted that the process of transforming the military into a gang of pillaging thugs would be a slow one "absent the catalysing and catastrophic effect of a new Pearl Harbor." So they got really lucky in 2001 when a new Pearl Harbor came along...

Do you think they're going to give up on that decade-long wet dream now?

[stevedeshazer]

4. Interesting take which I agree with

The PNACers have gone underground for the most part, but every day Dick Cheney is Vice-President and operating under the radar from his undisclosed location is another extremely dangerous one.

[Mz Pip]

3. Funny thing about horizons

they are always out of reach. It is always in the distance with no chance of reaching it. It just keeps changing depending where you are.

I have no clue as to what "aspirational goals" are. Maybe they are those fantasy goals you wish you could reach - like losing that last 10 pounds, but just never manage to achieve.

[stevedeshazer]

5. It's like the old carrot and stick

The mule never reaches the horizon.