In watching tonight's debate, I'm struck by this phrase: "Win the peace." It crops up constantly whenever Kerry and Edwards talk. "The President doesn't have a plan to win the peace." When did "win the peace" become part of the English language? Doesn't one usually talk about "winning the
war," and then afterwards "establishing peace" or "encouraging peace" or some similar phrase? "Win" the peace? What's "win" supposed to mean in that context?
Stuart Buck wrote: " When did "win the peace" become part of the English language?"
ReplyDeleteI'm no historian, but a quick google reveals early 1940s use of the phrase:
A couple of examples:
A publication in 1942 by that title:
http://www.univ-pau.fr/crecib/addendum.html
>Complément sur la Charte de l'Atlantique
>
>LA CHARTE DE L'ATLANTIQUE / THE ATLANTIC CHARTER
>
>PARUTIONS D'EPOQUE / WARTIME PUBLICATIONS
>
>-Einzig, Paul. Can we win the Peace ?
> London : Macmillan, 1942 ['An attempt at a realistic
>interpretation of the Atlantic Charter'].
--- ---
From the selected works of Henry Wallace
at http://newdeal.feri.org/wallace/haw16.htm
>Foundations of the Peace
>Henry A. Wallace
>A article written for the Atlantic Monthly just
>prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
>From Henry A. Wallace, Democracy Reborn
>(New York, 1944), edited by Russell Lord, p. 179.
>...
>19.As part of the effort to win the peace, I am
>hoping that what might be called the "ever-normal
>granary principle" can be established for a number
>of commodities an a world-wide scale.
>...