Ventilators, missiles, doctors, troops … the justification of legislative responses to COVID-19 through military metaphors

ABSTRACT This article examines the legislative measures imposed by governments as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and scrutinizes, in particular, governments’ extensive use of military metaphors to justify those measures. It argues that while the use of military metaphors can usefully and desirably function to mobilize widespread acceptance and compliance with the relevant legislative measures and to motivate action, the use of metaphors in this way should nonetheless be viewed with caution. Metaphors of war and associated images are emotionally powerful and can function in a way that makes it difficult to question governmental responses and responsibility.