[noduerme]

To anyone as allegedly historically literate as the author, especially one who's focused on the crimes of US imperialism and foreign interference, there is no question they would be familiar with what that term specifically refers to - the dirty war in Argentina (though also applicable to Chile and Uruguay). I too thought it was going to be about a literal black bagging, like what happened to protesters in Portland last summer who were manhandled into unmarked government vehicles by plainclothes officers.

[michannne]

"there is no question they would be familiar with what that term specifically refers to - the dirty war in Argentina"

The only way you could justify a statement like this is by ignoring at least two events that both hit closer to home to Americans - the kidnappings done by the Gestapo in the 30s and the Mafia in the 20s. I stand by my statement that the Dirty War in Argentina is not something that comes to mind for most Westerners when someone uses the phrasing of being "disappeared"

[dragonwriter]

> The only way you could justify a statement like this is by ignoring at least two events that both hit closer to home to Americans - the kidnappings done by the Gestapo in the 30s and the Mafia in the 20s.

Both of those predate the invention of the particular use of “disappear”, a passive voice construction implying an active voice transitive use with an animate direct object (the active voice form of which was not actually in use yet, but is sometimes seen since), which was invented in the late 1970s specifically in reference to the Dirty War in Argentina. It has been used since somewhat more broadly, but only because it invokes the intense coverage (including in the American media) of the Dirty War.

While certainly for a large number of young and/or particularly historically ignorant Westerners the specific referent may not be immediately recognized, the upthread comment that “ To anyone as allegedly historically literate as the author, especially one who's focused on the crimes of US imperialism and foreign interference, there is no question they would be familiar with what that term specifically refers to - the dirty war in Argentina” is absolutely correct.

[michannne]

>which was invented in the late 1970s specifically in reference to the Dirty War in Argentina.

It was not invented, that was the first time the euphemism was correlated. Having knowledge of the history of "to be disappeared" and having knowledge of what "being disappeared" brings to mind, are two very different things.

[sdoering]

> events that both hit closer to home to Americans

Well maybe something else would hit closer to home, like ferrying off supposed terrorists to Gitmo without due process or other secret prisons in quite a few countries should come to mind.

I believe that to be intentioned by the author.

The term "disappearing people" was used for describing the US practices outside the US to describe these practices. And the author for sure knew this.

Still doesn't make the use of the term by the author any better in my book.

But given his agenda I would actually think he intended to associate himself with these cases as much as with the victims of other governments to show once more how bad the US is from his view and to his intended audience/bubble.

I don't want to discuss the actual practices of the US and other governments. Nor compare them. This thread isn't the place for that. Just that the author intentionally conjured these images.