OK. I don't do this often in the space of Sacramento Executive. But I feel compelled to speak my peace. Especially at this time of year, when the Prince of Peace is celebrated.

Quite often I think about the use of the term insurgent and civil war. I'm not sure the press and our elected officials use these terms in the purest sense. Might they use these words to push their own agenda?

According to Wikipedia, a civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. I tend to agree with this definition.

Also, Wikipedia defines insurgency to be an armed uprising, or revolt against an established civil or political authority. Persons engaging in insurgency are called insurgents, and typically engage in regular or guerrilla combat against the armed forces of the established regime, or conduct sabotage and harassment in the land in order to undermine the government's position as leader, or at least their appearance as such. Again, I have no quarrel with this definition.

Well here's my dilema. If a country invades a sovereign state, overthrows the ruling power, and the loyalists of the overthrown government continue to wage battle against the invaders, is that a civil war?

Furthermore, if a country invades our sovereign soil, tosses out the current government, and I fight back against the invader, am I an insurgent?

Semantics? Propaganda?

Peace be with you!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive,
Holder of a Political Science degree from
The University of Maryland,
and American Patriot.