The Discourse Trap and the US Military (PDF)

Jeffrey Michaels is a research associate in the Department of War Studies at King s College.

"The Discourse Trap and the US Military is one of the most important books written on warfare since 9/11. It exposes how military officers and policy makers become trapped by the language that they use to describe and justify the conduct of war. Moralistic sounding bromides like 'protect the population' cover up and give a faux-reality to the death and destruction of war. Jeffrey Michaels' excellent new book brings to the fore the reality of American warfare since 9/11 and how that reality has been distorted by the discourse trap." - Gian P. Gentile, Professor of Military History, United States Military Academy, USA

"Michaels has produced an important and challenging study of how terminology constrains both analysis and action. This book demonstrates how terms, once introduced, gain a life of their own and end up distorting rather than aiding policy-making. Michaels reminds us that discourse is prescriptive as well as descriptive and challenges policy-makers to use it with far greater precision than is commonly the case. In his examination of this critically worthy yet hitherto under-researched topic, Michaels has produced an important book that should be widely read by academics and policy makers alike." - David Ucko, Assistant Professor, College of International Security Affairs, U.S. National Defense University, USA

"This book is the first systematic analysis of the pernicious effects U.S. official rhetoric had on military operations in the first decade of the 21st century. Through the prism of language and discourse, Jeffrey Michaels guides the reader through the U.S. Department of Defense's thinking and decision making surrounding the multiple operations that collectively became known as the Global War on Terror. In many ways it provides the most complete historical account to date of the Pentagon's policies and activities in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th." -Lowell H. Schwartz, Political Scientist, RAND Corporation, USA