The Problem of the War Metaphor
Metaphors involving warfare are common in American society. By framing problem-solving efforts as a war, a sense of urgency is created to rally the public to action in an effort to crush the enemy at all costs.
One of the more popular uses of this metaphor is used to describe the “war on drugs”. In 1954, President Eisenhower described his efforts against drug abuse as “a new war on narcotic addiction” when establishing a largely symbolic Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics. However, the term “war on drugs” fell into common use in 1971 when President Richard Nixon used the term to describe his administration’s unprecedented efforts to curb drug abuse and illegal trafficking.