Recently I finished reading Jesus For President, by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw. At the end are several appendices, but two of them only give the web addresses of where their content may be found. When I read this one, I found something rather astonishing in the very first paragraph.
Apparently, as far back as 2006, the Bush administration gave a new name to the “war on terror.” Then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld delivered a speech in early February of that year in which he “laid out broad strategies” for a war that is expected to go on for generations to come, being likened to the Cold War.
Claiborne and Haw cite the article “Rumsfeld Offers Strategies for Current War” in the Feb. 3rd, 2006 Washington Post. So I went and found it here. 
According to the Washington Post, White House aides had said that the speech was actually titled “The Long War.”
When I googled “the long war” today, I found that I could go through ten pages of results and never find this blog. (I could probably go through fifty more and never find it, but I only tried ten pages worth of results.) Practically every result of the hundred or so that I briefly saw had something to do with the “war on terror.”
This is obviously a bit disquieting for me. I definitely do not like that fact that my blog shares its title with the name given to the hawkish and aggressive program of the United States and other western partners to root out violence with violence.
It might be argued that, since the Bush administration has gone away and been replaced by that of President Obama, I needn’t worry about the title “The Long War” being popularized in the over all culture in connection with the fight against terror. But for one thing, I don’t really see President Obama as being substantially different from President Bush on this issue (this is where my right-wing friends and family members laugh at me). For another, the first thing that came up in my Google search was “The Long War Journal,” which is apparently a conservativish thinktank/blog which does research and reports on the progress of the so-called “long war.”
I really do not want my blog to sound at all like it is about this sort of thinking.
So here’s the question: Should I change the title of this blog?
If so, to what would I change it? And if so, would I not be surrendering a perfectly good and biblical idea/phrase (the one I see in II Samuel 3:1) to those who would use it to give a snazzy name to their game of worldly power?
Perhaps I should modify the title to something like “The Real Long War.” But that doesn’t quite have the same ring and in fact calls attention to the erroneous ideology from which I would like to distance myself.
Maybe I should keep the title I have and thereby, in my little way, say to the powers, “The war that this blog is about is the real war worthy of the title “The Long War!” This is the war that God cares about having His people win.”
Anybody have any thoughts?
The Long War 
Here are some options to consider…
The Protracted Conflict (TPC)
The Scrap of Unusual Length(TSUL)
The “You Want to Dance ‘For a Long Time’ Pretty Boy” Blog (T”YWD’FLT’PB”B) emphasis added
I thought I would offer a few suggestions that you might find helpful…
Uhhhhhh… Thanks, Bruce.
This seems a bit reminiscent of another time when we were pondering alternative forms of Sacagawea.
We had “Bag-o’-jawea,” “Box-o’-jawea,” “Jar-o’-jawea,” “Case-o’-jawea,” and even “Backpack-o’-jawea.”
Do you remember?
I don’t know that you need to change it but will offer sujestions anyway.
“The Lord’s War”
“Our War”
“The War”
“A War That Matters”
I don’t know your the writer man.
🙂 Heh heh heh heh…! Those are some good ones, alright!… Actually, at first I was kinda chuckling, because I wasn’t taking them that seriously… but one or two of those might have some potential. Hmmmmmm… Yesterday, I was thinking of the possibility of “The Lamb’s War,” but that is something of a well-worn phrase in certain circles, and I don’t think I am yet enough of veteran of that discussion to take such an important title for my little blog. Also, it would mean taking my blog in the direction of a permanent emphasis on Christian nonviolence–which is great, of course, but my blog is supposed to be about other things as well. Besides, I just googled that phrase and found that there is already quite a blog out there by that title; it belongs to a Quaker brother, and that’s really who should have it. Hmmmm… Well… I will continue to think… What do you think of “Hammilhamah Arukah”? Those are the words in II Sam. 3:1 which say “the war was long.” Naaaaaaaahhhh… Too much work to pronounce… Sighhhhhhhhhh…
I kind of like how it is now… and I’m also a fan of saying something that can have two completely different meanings and then letting someone else figure out which one is intended. Of course, there’s something to be said for being simple and straight-forward. And then there is also something to be said for not having to scroll through 20 pages of google war blogs… Then again, would you rather have people who are googling war blogs discover your blog, or people who are just gonna agree with you?
My vote is keep it, but I will stand by whatever choice you make. (If you do change it, please change it to “Me and KC”)
-James
James… Thank you for the much needed input! I think I will leave it as it is… Love you, Brother! BTW, I have been following your SoS blog. But I have not thought it my place to join in the recent interaction with your recent posts (though I really appreciate what I am reading–both in your posts and in the responses from you kin). So I have just been an observer for now. 🙂