Presidential Policy Directive 62: Wherein the Clinton Adm. Gave us the Orwellian Term 'Homeland'

But not much of one.

A newly declassified White House policy directive regarding counterterrorism policies pre-Bush administration indicated not only “an increased rate of renditions, apprehensions, and convictions of terrorists,” and “a large increase in counterterrorism funding.” but also just how our government came to start using the term "Homeland." (and here all this time I thought 'homeland' was just an extension of (the)Dick Cheney's perverted Third Reich fetish.)

But that White House directive —Presidential Policy Directive 62, Protection Against Unconventional Threats to the Homeland and Americans Overseas— was issued by President Bill Clinton, and dates from May 22, 1998.

Even the title of the directive, with its early use of the oddly dissonant term “homeland” to refer to the United States, suggests a greater continuity of government policy before and after 9/11 than may be generally recognized.

But I digress...