Chickenhawk (also chicken hawk and chicken-hawk) is a political epithet used in the United States to criticize a politician, bureaucrat, or commentator who strongly supports a war or other military action, but has never personally been in a war, especially if that person actively avoided military service when of draft age. Look up war in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The term is meant to indicate that the person in question is cowardly or hypocritical for personally avoiding combat in the past while advocating that others go to war in the present. Generally, the implication is that "chickenhawks" lack the experience, judgment, or moral standing to make decisions about going to war.

The term was first applied to vocal supporters of military action who were perceived to have used family connections or college deferments to avoid serving in previous wars, particularly the Vietnam War. In current usage, the label is used almost exclusively to describe ardent supporters of the Iraq War who have themselves never been in combat; it is seldom if ever used with respect to supporters of the (more broadly supported) war in Afghanistan as such. Those who use the term are generally but not always on the anti war political left; political right in favor of military action are generally but not always on the receiving end of the insult. The label is not usually applied to women (who were historically, in most countries, barred by law from serving in combat). People who use the term have not necessarily been in the military themselves; people labeled "chickenhawks" have sometimes served in the military, but have not seen combat. The United States has employed conscription (mandatory military service, also called the draft) several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... Combatants Taliban al-Qaeda IMU Hezbi Islami Afghanistan Northern Alliance United Nations NATO  Australia  New Zealand Commanders Mohammed Omar Obaidullah Akhund # Dadullah â€  Jalaluddin Haqqani Osama bin Laden Ayman al-Zawahiri Mohammad Atef â€  Juma Namangani â€  Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Bismillah Khan Mohammed Fahim Tommy Franks Dan McNeill David Fraser Ton van Loon Strength... “Leftism” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Left-Right politics. ...

Critics argue that the term represents an ad hominem argument, that it is historically unsound, that it is inconsistently applied, and/or that it suggests ideas that are contrary to fundamental American principles, such as the ability to have an opinion or support war without needing to serve in the military. An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: argument to the person, argument against the man) consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or...

Origin of the term

Although also a name for a type of bird, in political usage chickenhawk is a compound of chicken (meaning coward) and hawk (meaning someone who advocates war, first used to describe "War Hawks" in the War of 1812). The earliest known print citation of chickenhawk in this sense was in the June 16, 1986 issue of The New Republic. (The magazine referenced the term in a way that suggests it was already in usage.)^[1] An association between the word chickenhawk and war was popularized several years earlier in the 1983 bestselling book Chickenhawk, a memoir by Robert Mason about his service in the Vietnam War, in which he was a helicopter pilot. Mason used the word as a compound oxymoron to describe both his fear of combat ("chicken") and his attraction to it ("hawk"), a slightly different use of the term which nonetheless might have inspired the current usage.^[2] Chickenhawk was formerly the name of two species of hawk known to prey on barnyard fowl - the Red-tailed Hawk and the Coopers Hawk. ... War Hawk is a term originally used to describe a member of the House of Representatives of the Twelfth Congress of the United States (usually from the south & southwest) who advocated going to war against Great Britain in the War of 1812. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Canada Bermuda Eastern Woodland Indians Commanders James Madison Henry Dearborn Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson George Prevost Isaac Brock† Tecumseh† Strength •United States Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war): •Frigates:6 •Other... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see the New Republic disambiguation page. ... Chickenhawk Chickenhawk is Robert Masons narrative of his experiences as a UH-1 helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. ... Robert C. Mason is a veteran of the Vietnam War and author of several books, including his two memoirs: Chickenhawk and Chickenhawk Back in the World: Life After Vietnam. ...

Previously, the term war wimp was sometimes used, coined during the Vietnam War by Congressman Andrew Jacobs (Democrat–Indiana), a Marine veteran of the Korean War. Jacobs defined a war wimp as "someone who is all too willing to send others to war, but never got 'round to going himself". This example has often been attached to current Vice President Richard Cheney, who in his youth received five draft notices but sought deferment to all of them claiming he had "more important business". ^[3] Another term used in military circles, also occasionally referring to out-of-touch generals, is "armchair warrior". Andrew Jacobs (February 22, 1906 - December 17, 1992) was a lawyer, judge, and Congressman for one term, in Indiana. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is an American politician and businessman affiliated with the U.S. Republican Party. ...

A much lesser used term is "eagle dove", implying someone who has been in the military who later advocated a dovish position. This may not necessarily mean someone is an absolute pacifist, but one who may state that war is not always the answer, despite the fact they personally have a service record.

Another related term sometimes used is "chickendove" which is used to describe someone who is opposed to military action but is said to lack the convictions to take action on it, such as serve as a human shield, or take their complaints to the enemy. Chickendove is an epithet used in United States politics to criticize an anti-war protester who will only protest against safe protest targets (usually democratic free countries)--even if the unsafe target is truly the one at fault. ...

History of the term's usage

The use of the term chickenhawk to describe a "hawk" who has never been in combat became more popular when members of the "Baby Boom" generation who had not served in the Vietnam War began entering national politics. Dan Quayle, a "hawkish" conservative Republican, was George H. W. Bush's running mate in the 1988 presidential election. In the campaign, Quayle was criticized for having used family connections to get into the Indiana National Guard in 1969, allegedly in order to avoid going to Vietnam. As Vice President, Quayle became the object of frequent ridicule in popular media; references describing him as a "chicken hawk" can be found in newsgroup archives from 1990.^[4] One popular joke from this time, playing on the fact that "Quayle" and "quail" are homophones, was: A baby boomer is a person born between 1946 and 1960 in the United States. ... James Danforth Dan Quayle (born February 4, 1947) was the 44th Vice President of the United States under George H. W. Bush (1989-1993). ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... The election was held on November 8, 1988. ... The United States National Guard is a component of the United States Army (the Army National Guard) and the United States Air Force (the Air National Guard). ... A newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. ... Genera Coturnix Anurophasis Perdicula Ophrysia † See also Pheasant, Partridge, Grouse Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae, or in the family Odontophoridae. ... Look up homonym in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Question: what do you get when you combine a chicken with a hawk?

Answer: a Quayle.^[5]

In the 1992 presidential campaign, conservative critics of Democratic candidate Bill Clinton questioned the way in which he had avoided service in the Vietnam War. They charged that while Quayle had at least served honorably in uniform, they argued that Clinton had been a "draft dodger" and was thus not suitable to become commander-in-chief. This criticism continued throughout Clinton's presidency, particularly on right-wing talk radio. Liberals countered with the argument that many of Clinton's conservative critics were "chickenhawks" who had themselves avoided being sent to fight in Vietnam. A few Clinton supporters did point out that Clinton had also been in uniform, because as a college student he studied Army ROTC and received training in basic soldier skills. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Their actions were criminal offences and once they had left the country draft dodgers could not return or they would be arrested. ... Talk radio is a radio format which features discussion of topical issues. ... The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program of the United States armed forces present on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. ...

A notable example of this response was liberal satirist Al Franken's 1996 book Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, which included a chapter called "Operation Chickenhawk." The story details the exploits of a fictional Vietnam War squad made up of Quayle, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Buchanan, Phil Gramm, Clarence Thomas, and George Will—all conservative Republicans who were of draft age during the Vietnam era yet did not serve in the conflict. In the story, the cowardly and incompetent squad bungles a surprise attack on a North Vietnamese Army company and ultimately extricates itself from the battle by fragging its gung-ho lieutenant, Oliver North (a conservative Republican veteran of the war). Alan Stuart Al Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an Emmy Award–winning American comedian, actor, author, screenwriter, political commentator, radio host and, recently, politician. ... Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot is a book written by comedian Al Franken. ... Newton Leroy Gingrich (born June 17, 1943), Ph. ... Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (born January 12, 1951) is an American radio talk show host and political commentator. ... Patrick Joseph Buchanan (born November 2, 1938) is an American politician, author, syndicated columnist, and broadcaster. ... William Philip Phil Gramm (born July 8, 1942, in Fort Benning, Georgia) served as a Democratic Congressman (1978–1983), a Republican Congressman (1983–1985) and a Republican Senator from Texas (1985–2002). ... Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist and has been an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1991. ... George Frederick Will (born May 4, 1941) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, conservative American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. ... knulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din... Fratricide is the formal word used to describe death in battle by friendly-fire. ... Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943) is most well known for his involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair. ...

"Operation Chickenhawk" illustration (by William Bramhall), from Al Franken's Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot (1996)

Usage of the term continued into the 2000 U.S. Presidential election. Vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney, who avoided the Vietnam War through the use of college and marriage deferments, was often labeled a chickenhawk.^[6] Presidential candidate George W. Bush, who had served in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War but did not go overseas, was also called a chickenhawk. It is incorrect, however, to make the accusation that Bush the Younger "never wore a uniform in his entire life", as National Guard forces are uniformed and considered part of the US military. For example, in a November 15, 2000 article in the Chicago Sun-Times, liberal columnist Richard Roeper criticized what he regarded as Bush's "chickenhawk stance on the Vietnam War."^[7] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (471x800, 87 KB)Lieutenant Oliver North leads a Vietnam War squad comprised of, from left, Rush Limbaugh, Clarence Thomas, Phil Gramm, Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan, Dan Quayle, and George Will in an illustration from Operation Chickenhawk, a chapter in Al Franken... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (471x800, 87 KB)Lieutenant Oliver North leads a Vietnam War squad comprised of, from left, Rush Limbaugh, Clarence Thomas, Phil Gramm, Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan, Dan Quayle, and George Will in an illustration from Operation Chickenhawk, a chapter in Al Franken... Alan Stuart Al Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an Emmy Award–winning American comedian, actor, author, screenwriter, political commentator, radio host and, recently, politician. ... Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot is a book written by comedian Al Franken. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941), is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Shield of the United States Air National Guard In the US military, the Air National Guard (ANG), as part of the National Guard, is the organized militia of a particular US state and is a reserve of the US Air Force (USAF), too. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago. ... Richard Roeper (born October 17, 1959[1]) is a columnist/film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and, since September of 2000, has co-hosted Ebert & Roeper with fellow film critic Roger Ebert. ...

Subsequently, in the 2004 campaign, Vice President Cheney criticized the voting record of Democratic nominee John Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, suggesting that Kerry's positions on national defense made him unsuitable to be commander-in-chief. Democrats responded by highlighting Cheney's comment that he himself had not served in the military because he had had "other priorities," with Senator Frank Lautenberg calling Cheney "the lead chickenhawk" in criticizing Kerry.^[8] Presidential election results map. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts, in his fourth term of office. ... Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (born January 23, 1924) is a businessman and Democratic Party politician. ...

Since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003, numerous conservative and neoconservative supporters of the war have been labeled "chickenhawks" by liberal opponents of the war. For example, the online edition of the alternative, liberal newspaper The New Hampshire Gazette maintains a "Chickenhawk Database", which they describe as "detailing the means by which various right-wing politicians and personalities avoided military service." The database accuses numerous supporters of the war (all or almost all Republicans) of being "chickenhawks," including conservatives such as Bill O'Reilly and William Kristol.^[9] For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... The New Hampshire Gazette is a non-profit, alternative, bi-weekly newspaper published in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. ... It has been suggested that Bill OReilly political beliefs and points of view be merged into this article or section. ... William Bill Kristol (born December 23, 1952 in New York City) is an American conservative pundit, inspired in part by the ideas of Leo Strauss. ...

In May 2006, a group of pro-war bloggers began using the "chickenhawk" label in an ironic (and positive) fashion, describing themselves as the "101st Fighting Keyboardists" with the motto "We Eat Chickens for Lunch".^[10]

In July 2006, blogger Glenn Greenwald used a narrower definition of the term: ^[11] Glenn Greenwald as depicted in his column at Salon. ...

Popular culture

A 1989 issue of MAD Magazine made a reference to chickenhawks in an article called "Did You Ever Notice the Same People Who...?" which showed those contradicting themselves, such as people who do not seem to be baseball fans usually end up with tickets to the World Series. One was asking "Did you notice the same people who avoided service in Vietnam?...", which shows a young, nervous Dan Quayle saying to his father "Dad, I got my draft notice today" to which his father replies that he knows a doctor who can state Quayle has asthma, thus rendering him unfit for military service. The rhetorical question ends with "...are among some of the most gung-ho war hawks today?", then shows a panel with Quayle now as Vice President saying to his father "We ought to invade Iran! Following that we need to go to Central America and kick some Commie butts!" and his father chiming in "Right you are Junior! We have to stop those commies!" Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Harvey Kurtzmans cover for the first issue of the comic book Mad Mad is an American humor magazine founded by publisher William Gaines and editor Harvey Kurtzman in 1952. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

The phrase was used in the movie American History X as an insult directed towards a neo-Nazi sympathizer who recruits Nazi wannabes to do his bidding, yet never engages in violence himself. American History X is a 1998 film directed by Tony Kaye. ... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ...

Notes

Lionel Van Deerlin is a former United States Representative from California. ... The San Diego Union-Tribune is a daily newspaper published in San Diego, California by the Copley Press. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Glenn Greenwald as depicted in his column at Salon. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

General information Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ...

• "Chickenhawk Vs. Chicken Little", by Terry M. Neal, from washingtonpost.com, September 6, 2002
• Defending Kerry, senator blasts 'chickenhawks', cnn.com, April 28, 2004
• Dem Calls Cheney A 'Chickenhawk', cbsnews.com, April 29, 2004

Advocates of the term: The Washington Post is the largest and oldest newspaper in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... CNN.com is the news website maintained by CNN. The website debuted on August 30, 1995, and it describes itself as the first major news and information website on the Internet. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• "Leading the charge from behind a desk" by Lionel Van Deerlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, September 4, 2002
• Operation Yellow Elephant
• The Chickenhawk Database
• "Recruit the Chickenhawks" by Michael Moore
• "What makes someone a 'chicken hawk'?" by Glenn Greenwald

Critics of the term: Lionel Van Deerlin is a former United States Representative from California. ... The San Diego Union-Tribune is a daily newspaper published in San Diego, California by the Copley Press. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ... Glenn Greenwald as depicted in his column at Salon. ...

• "A Fighting Chance" by Jonah Goldberg, Jewish World Review, August 7, 2002.
• "Chickenhawk? The general trump-it-all insult", by Michael Kelly, October 30, 2002. Kelly called himself an "honorary chickenhawk" a few months before his death while covering the Iraq War as a journalist. (retrieved via the Internet archive)
• "Armchair General: The ugly idea that non-soldiers have less right to argue for war, by Christopher Hitchens, Slate, November 11, 2002.
• “The Chickenhawk Slur” by John Hawkins, rightwingnews.com
• "Why the 'Chickenhawk' argument is un-American: Part I" by Ben Shapiro, August 17, 2005.
• "Playing 'Chickenhawk': Left-wing platitudes" by Jonah Goldberg, National Review, August 17, 2005.
• "Bad Moves: Can't do it? Don't back it." by Julian Baggini, Butterflies and Wheels.
• "Are you a 'chicken hawk?'" by Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe, July 23, 2006
• Shape Up, Shut Up, or Ship Out by Erik Svane
• Anti-war rant — "Chicken Hawk!" by Larry Elder