One of the many great lines from the movie The Princess Bride is when Inego Montoya says to the nefarious plotter, Venzini: “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

There are those today who also seem to have a lack of comprehension (but not confidence) over the meaning of certain words. You know, complex, multi-syllable words such as:

Gulag.
Torture.
Moderate.

Or, how about this one: theocracy.

There are those in this country who are ever-alert to defend against any signs of encroaching theocracy and who quite visibly stand fast against any appeasement with their perceived enemy.

Unless it’s Islamic theocracy, that is.

Not that there aren’t many who see equivalence between the militant Islamists with their law of Sharia and those who think it’s a fine idea to display the Ten Commandments on public property. It’s just that I’m wondering how many of these people are also quick to attribute the terrorist attacks (HT: Questions and Answers)as natural and even justifiable reactions to U.S. and/or Western provocations.

I mean, based on that logic, wouldn’t it be true that the militancy of the incipient American theocracy is simply a reaction to the secularists mucking about? Shouldn’t Ted Kennedy and friends be talking about setting an “exit date” for their withdrawal from society to spare everyone from this moral quagmire?

“It’s not the same thing!” they might cry, and of course they’d be right. The militant Christians aren’t blowing people up or executing envoys from other countries. Then again, “perspective” is another word they might want to look up.

(Speaking of proper usage of words, Captain Ed linked an excellent post from Dafydd on why the word “Islamofascist” is incorrect.)

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