In A Word: Spin
Gerald Eisman
May 08, 2006
SPIN: The distinctive complex of connotations or implications inherent in a point of view:
Imagine the surprise registered by career appointees at the Department of Agriculture when they opened their May 2 e-mail. In it were instructions from the George W. Bush administration guiding them with things to say when delivering speeches for the department. The instructions included "talking points" that had absolutely no relationship to agriculture but did suggest statements such as "president Bush has a clear strategy for victory in Iraq."
The e-mail was sent to about 60 undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and other political appointees. Some examples of what the administration expects can be found at the following address: http://www.washingtonpost.com/fedpage
The implications here are typical of the administration though frightening for the American public. There is no denying that president Bush has considered himself above the law and constitution of our nation since the inauguration of his first term in office but activity such as this is beyond even his supreme arrogance. The ideas that appointees should be commanded to incorporate dishonesty into anything they write, speak or even think is unconscionable.
In the memo there's a sample introduction offered: "Several topics I'd like to talk about today -- Farm Bill, trade with Japan, WTO, avian flu . . . but before I do, let me touch on a subject people always ask about . . . progress in Iraq." The slipping in of administration speak is smooth as silk.
The instructions continue this way: So then you talk about how "we are helping the Iraqi people build a lasting democracy that is peaceful and prosperous." If it looks like the audience is with you, try to slip in the old Iraq/al-Qaeda/terrorism link and say Americans are helping build a country "that will never again be a safe haven for terrorists."
It appears the administration will resort to anything short of bludgeoning the public to create a false atmosphere of success. We were brought into the Iraq conflict through false data, half truths, and outright deceit and have been treated like mushrooms (kept in the dark and fed crap) ever since.
Half the populace of the country swallowed the spin that G. W. Bush would bring honesty and integrity back into the oval office. Unfortunately, they were still smarting from the actions of and the spin associated with the private life of Bill Clinton and refused to look beyond the language. The results of that confusion have been the total mismanagement of the country for the past five plus years.
Now, after the administration has been granted a second chance to govern, the only thing it has efficiently run is us into the ground. We hear nothing but good things about our current state of the union, but exactly what are those good things?
We are almost completely dependent on foreign oil for most of our energy needs but the spin-meisters insist offshore drilling and further incursion into Alaska will help solve the problem. Ignored is the fact that more efficient automobile engines would save millions of gallons of fuel or that pollution would be greatly reduced through that efficiency thus reducing global warming.
Our national debt is greater than ever, swollen by the spenders in congress, but the spinners point out how wonderful our economy is. To top it all, congress is poised to vote into law another 109 billion dollar appropriation to add to the debt. How that will improve our position is a mystery. Ignored by the spin-meisters are the cost of gasoline and the skyrocketing costs of health care, food and other basics needed to live.
The spin is consumers are spending more than ever. Certainly they are but that's because everything costs more than ever before. If it costs more to buy what was spent on the same items the previous year, the consumer-spending index will rise. That is common sense reasoning. But not according to the spinners.
The examples of spin are everywhere though not obvious until a document such as the e-mail to the Department of Agriculture surfaces. How much more will we endure before we rebel against the subterfuge and deceit and remove the debilitating growth from our midst?
America needs truth and a direction that has meaning. Not Spin.
Imagine the surprise registered by career appointees at the Department of Agriculture when they opened their May 2 e-mail. In it were instructions from the George W. Bush administration guiding them with things to say when delivering speeches for the department. The instructions included "talking points" that had absolutely no relationship to agriculture but did suggest statements such as "president Bush has a clear strategy for victory in Iraq."
The e-mail was sent to about 60 undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and other political appointees. Some examples of what the administration expects can be found at the following address: http://www.washingtonpost.com/fedpage
The implications here are typical of the administration though frightening for the American public. There is no denying that president Bush has considered himself above the law and constitution of our nation since the inauguration of his first term in office but activity such as this is beyond even his supreme arrogance. The ideas that appointees should be commanded to incorporate dishonesty into anything they write, speak or even think is unconscionable.
In the memo there's a sample introduction offered: "Several topics I'd like to talk about today -- Farm Bill, trade with Japan, WTO, avian flu . . . but before I do, let me touch on a subject people always ask about . . . progress in Iraq." The slipping in of administration speak is smooth as silk.
The instructions continue this way: So then you talk about how "we are helping the Iraqi people build a lasting democracy that is peaceful and prosperous." If it looks like the audience is with you, try to slip in the old Iraq/al-Qaeda/terrorism link and say Americans are helping build a country "that will never again be a safe haven for terrorists."
It appears the administration will resort to anything short of bludgeoning the public to create a false atmosphere of success. We were brought into the Iraq conflict through false data, half truths, and outright deceit and have been treated like mushrooms (kept in the dark and fed crap) ever since.
Half the populace of the country swallowed the spin that G. W. Bush would bring honesty and integrity back into the oval office. Unfortunately, they were still smarting from the actions of and the spin associated with the private life of Bill Clinton and refused to look beyond the language. The results of that confusion have been the total mismanagement of the country for the past five plus years.
Now, after the administration has been granted a second chance to govern, the only thing it has efficiently run is us into the ground. We hear nothing but good things about our current state of the union, but exactly what are those good things?
We are almost completely dependent on foreign oil for most of our energy needs but the spin-meisters insist offshore drilling and further incursion into Alaska will help solve the problem. Ignored is the fact that more efficient automobile engines would save millions of gallons of fuel or that pollution would be greatly reduced through that efficiency thus reducing global warming.
Our national debt is greater than ever, swollen by the spenders in congress, but the spinners point out how wonderful our economy is. To top it all, congress is poised to vote into law another 109 billion dollar appropriation to add to the debt. How that will improve our position is a mystery. Ignored by the spin-meisters are the cost of gasoline and the skyrocketing costs of health care, food and other basics needed to live.
The spin is consumers are spending more than ever. Certainly they are but that's because everything costs more than ever before. If it costs more to buy what was spent on the same items the previous year, the consumer-spending index will rise. That is common sense reasoning. But not according to the spinners.
The examples of spin are everywhere though not obvious until a document such as the e-mail to the Department of Agriculture surfaces. How much more will we endure before we rebel against the subterfuge and deceit and remove the debilitating growth from our midst?
America needs truth and a direction that has meaning. Not Spin.
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