Insurgent
Irwell
own country?
Tony Cooper
wrote:
>Can a person be an insurgent in his
>own country?
The Spanish seemed to think so. They had four of them. Now that song
will be buzzing around my head.
Steve Hayes
>Can a person be an insurgent in his
>own country?
Usually, yes.
With relatively rare exceptions (Byron, Che Guevara et al) people don't
usually revolt against the governments of other countries.
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
Martin Ambuhl
> Can a person be an insurgent in his
> own country?
Insurgents are almost *always* in opposition to some group claiming to
govern their country. Insurgency has been such throughout the history of
the word.
The Latin insurgo means literally "to rise up," or "to raise oneself up."
It was applied in this literal sense: the man rose [to his full height],
the horse reared up, the storm gathered strength. It was also applied to
persons or groups increasing their power, and (see Ovid) to those rising up
against "suis regnis," that is, their own realm. This last sense is the
own preserved in the English word.
This raises questions about the propriety of describing the armed Iraqi
opponents to the US in Iraq as "insurgents," as is sometimes done. There
seems to be *no* Iraqi regime to rebel against, and the US disavows any
intention of governing. Those who use "insurgents," including some in the
US government, seem to be calling the US official position a lie.
--
Martin Ambuhl