How four-letter shock and awe can stop a war

The Advertiser

4 hours ago

This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks.
It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal.
It is, of course, the F-bomb.
We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway.
By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out.
A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well.
At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most.
I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call.
And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration?
Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief.
Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances.
Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections.
For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties".
- A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels.
- A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years.
THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain
YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize.
"It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind."
David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up."
As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed."
David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks.
It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal.
It is, of course, the F-bomb.
We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway.
By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out.
A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well.
At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most.
I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call.
And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration?
Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief.
Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances.
Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections.
For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties".
- A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels.
- A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years.
THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain
YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize.
"It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind."
David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up."
As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed."
David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks.
It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal.
It is, of course, the F-bomb.
We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway.
By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out.
A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well.
At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most.
I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call.
And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration?
Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief.
Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances.
Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections.
For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties".
- A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels.
- A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years.
THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain
YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize.
"It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind."
David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up."
As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed."
David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks.
It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal.
It is, of course, the F-bomb.
We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway.
By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out.
A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well.
At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most.
I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call.
And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration?
Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief.
Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances.
Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections.
For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties".
- A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels.
- A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years.
THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain
YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize.
"It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind."
David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up."
As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed."
David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it."