Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for August 10, 2018

Do they look like a “Ralph” to you?

Wait ‘til they start shooting. You’ll think up some names quick. None that can be featured in a newspaper comic strip, but…

They used to be called “Vlad”. Not anymore, though…

Abdul, or Osama, or is that a bit premature?

US troops called the locals ’Haji’s" after the johnny quest character. Thing is the locals took it as a compliment, saying they had taken the Haj the holy pilgrimage which took all the fun out of the insult for the troops.

Keep working on them, B.D…

As I recall, the term was “Haji”, which I think was from “Jihadi,” spelled sideways.

Since they often called themselves Jihadis, it wasn’t originally derogatory. But of course, in war, the term for your enemies doesn’t stay neutral for long. It came to mean something like “immoral, evil person with enthusiasm who can’t aim”. A longer version would include no regard for anyone’s life.

Rather prescient, considering.

Nice word, prescient.

It’s been said before, but if the politicians want to have a war, then let the politicians go fight it.

From time immemorial, soldiers have always tried to dehumanize the enemy. This always included giving the derogatory, demeaning names.

Sometimes that slur becomes a badge of honor.

The term Yankee has dubious origins but was probably derived from a name Dutch settlers in New York applied to their English colonialist neighbors in Connecticut around 1683. The Dutch word Janke literally “Little John”. ( No need to go further with that inference )

The British derisively called the colonial Americans, Yankee Doodles and the song of the same name was sung by the British troops to portray their enemies as dumb, country bumpkins.By World War I the British were celebrating the arrival of the Yanks in Europe. The same in World War II.

While we’ve been also heard, all over the world : “Yankees Go Home”, Americans have proudly adopted and answered to that appellation as a badge of national identity.

The term “gringo” comes from the Mexican troops having heard the American troops singing "Green Grows the Grass of Home.

How about Phred? ☺

“Greaser” comes from the Mexicans boiling bones and hide of cows and getting a greasy covering from it.

Some very Harsh truths being spoken by BD.