In any case it's a distinction without a difference.
andruejaysin Reviewed by andruejaysin on . Winning the hearts and minds Is it really a surge, or is it an escalation? (DOD) Escalation: A deliberate or unpremeditated increase in scope or violence of a conflict. As the president's $6.5 billion and 21,500 troop Hail Mary is announced, the battle of language between "surge" v. "escalation" rages on, with the White House pushing the former to the nation's reporters who follow suit with dutiful pen and bland rictus. Update: According to the WaPo, of the two, only "escalation" appears in the Dept. of Defense Rating: 5