Some Euphemisms

"Physical pressure" is entirely too vague -- goodness gracious, it could refer to something no more serious than a firm handshake -- and as a result it's impossible even to guess what's being euphemized. "Abuse" is similarly hazy. Verbal abuse?  Spousal abuse? Gosh, it's hard to say. "Harsh methods" and "harsh tactics" offer more of a clue, except that nowadays the word "harsh" can be used semi-comically, as in the teen-age "oh, that's harsh." You don't want inadvertent comedy when you're inventing prize-winning euphemisms. But "harsh" has more heft when used in combination with other adjectives, as for example "harsh interrogation methods" and "harsh interrogation techniques." The three-word phrases sound as though they've been translated from the original German, always a plus when language is being corrupted. "Rough treatment" is not very imaginative. I definitely prefer "abusive treatment," and "abusive techniques." "Coercive interrogation" has a nice ring -- and it leaves a lot of room for the imagination. "Brutal treatment" and "brutal methods of interrogation" -- well, what's the point? Once you start using words like "brutal", you might just as well just abandon euphemism altogether and say "torture," for goodness sake. "Enhanced interrogations" and  "enhanced interrogation techniques" effectively combine euphemism and bureaucratese. It's a stroke of genius to take the word "enhanced," which ordinarily denotes an improvement, and transfer it to the world of thumbscrew and electric shock. "Enhanced" is much more effective than its alternative "extreme," as in the widely used but colorless "extreme interrogation methods." My personal favorite is "advanced interrogation techniques," in which the word "advanced," customarily employed to describe progress in civilization, has been thoroughly perverted to refer to primitive, barbaric practices. "Advanced interrogation techniques." Now that's what I call a world-class euphemism! Credit another success to our government and to our compliant journalists.