Still a little fuzzy on what terms like 'surgical strike' and 'collateral damage' mean?
Not to worry. Ron James speaks fluent Pentagonese.
The sixth episode of The Ron James Show sees the comic flying high on the words of war -- especially as they're bandied about by the U.S. military.
"Those guys invented the craft of double-speak," he says, during the performance -- before offering a few definitions of his own.
Collateral damage? "We killed civilians by mistake."
Surgical strike? "We killed civilians on purpose."
Enhanced interrogation techniques? "That's another way of saying pinch his nuts with those pliers until he talks."
On the surface, the deadly double-speak of war may not exactly seem like fodder for humour.
But that's just where the Canadian comic shines, plumbing real issues to deliver scathing social commentary. And, in downright George Carlinesque tradition, hilarity.
"The Pentagon drops a 10-tonne explosive on a school bus and they call it a smart bomb," James notes.
Then he polishes off his best Yankee accent to add, "Relax, it's a smart bomb. Not only do you get your soul blown out your ass, you also learn algebra at the same time."
Catch the full episode Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. EST on CBC.
For more on Ron James, go to CBC, visit his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter.