Consider it 'military rhetoric' if you prefer. It's politically very effective in galvanizing support among Americans for things that are not really targetable (i.e. war on drugs, terrorism). Outside the US, French leader Macron has declared 'We are at war'.
Based on downvotes I'm gonna go ahead and guess that there is no war (aside from the wars that are already going) and this use of the word "war" was referring to something else. Still I would like someone to please confirm that there is not a real war coming.
I heard this was about France declaring war on the virus. I assume if they're officially declaring war (again, against the virus), certain government powers / resources are immediately available.
I suppose that could be the case. I don't know how power is distributed throughout the French government. Thanks for clarifying. I live in the Pacific, so I don't follow much European news.
> I'm gonna go ahead and guess that there is no war
That's not really right, because that implies that other people are using the word wrong. It's more that it's a word with a lot of uses, and you got stuck on one of them.
They are using it wrong. I think when op said "war" op meant "public health policy" which is really far away from war. It's actually the complete opposite thing.
2a: a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism
b: a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a
particular end
a class war
a war against disease
Note that last line. The use here is so extremely valid that it's an example in the dictionary!
I don't know what the parent had in mind but in Europe at least the word "war" has been thrown around a lot lately. The French president said that France was in a "state of war" during his last discourse for instance.
Wait, like a real war? Who's talking about a war? Between what parties? I have heard nothing about a war, please explain.