[cake_crumb]

I don't believe the incorrect usage of the term "insurgent" is a mistake. It's propaganda. It's redefining terrorists until their actions take in the patina of legitimacy in the collective public consciousness. The mass media did this with the terms "Palestinian refugees", though they never had a country called "Palestine" to flee from, and the continured usage of "Israeli occupation" and "occupied territories" to strengthen the notion of Israel as Zionist conqueror of helpless Arabs.

The media hasn't changed the technique since Hitler's propaganda machine perfected it.

[the anti-liberal]

Another way to state it would be to say that the term is misapplied in 'scienter', that is, willfully and knowingly.

[the anti-liberal]

I do not disagree that there are some in the media who do misapply the term 'insurgent' willfully, knowingly and with intent to misinform, however, I just want to speculate that the use of the term may have arisen out of an honest desire to be and appear to be 'objective' and divorced from a particular point of view. The problem with this arises from the fact that the use of the term in fact favors the point of view of those to whom the term is being (mis)applied.

I would like to see an American journalist, for example, speak from the point of view of and as an American rather than pretend to speak from a point of view bereft of nationality or perspective. IMO.