SPINNING THE SPIN
A new ABC poll informs us that seventy percent of Iraqi citizens are optimistic about democracy. Concurrently, however, only fifty percent think it has a chance of working, sixty percent believe American involvement is detrimental to the process, and sixty-five percent want our military to vacate the country ASAP.
And the Bush administration exudes confidence about the achievement of its mission in Iraq (the real nature of which remains something of a mystery). And it does so because a sizeable percentage of Iraq seems comfortable with the idea of democracy. That the other parts of the poll are less encouraging is ignored. And that is typical of what we call "Republispeak"; a process whereby administration flacks, supporters, and hangers-on are able to focus on things which please them while completely spacing any negatives.
It is part and parcel of the Republican/conservative cosmology that denial ( plausible or not) is the means by which potential converts can be convinced that the earth really is flat, that the sun rises in the west, and that God looks kindly only upon the red states. And from this convoluted logic they can then conclude that our invading forces really are welcomed in Iraq, that Saddam probably did have weapons of mass destruction (regardless the evidence to the contrary), and that our slaughter of more than 30,000 Iraqis has, without doubt, been in the best interests of the millions of other Iraqis whom we haven't slaughtered.
And so it goes. And the spin goes on. And, by this time next year there will be no more than a couple of handfuls ofAmerican soldiers still on Iraqi soil. But as the withdrawals commence (this spring we're betting), the offered rationale will be that we are winning, that we have captured the minds and hearts of the formerly beleagured populace, and that victory is ours. That November's midterm elections, in which the Republicans might otherwise lose their shirts, looms as the real reason for the impending troop withdrawals will not be mentioned; at least not by anyone in Bush World.
And that's what we call spinning the spin.........
12.14.2005
Garrett 500
And the Bush administration exudes confidence about the achievement of its mission in Iraq (the real nature of which remains something of a mystery). And it does so because a sizeable percentage of Iraq seems comfortable with the idea of democracy. That the other parts of the poll are less encouraging is ignored. And that is typical of what we call "Republispeak"; a process whereby administration flacks, supporters, and hangers-on are able to focus on things which please them while completely spacing any negatives.
It is part and parcel of the Republican/conservative cosmology that denial ( plausible or not) is the means by which potential converts can be convinced that the earth really is flat, that the sun rises in the west, and that God looks kindly only upon the red states. And from this convoluted logic they can then conclude that our invading forces really are welcomed in Iraq, that Saddam probably did have weapons of mass destruction (regardless the evidence to the contrary), and that our slaughter of more than 30,000 Iraqis has, without doubt, been in the best interests of the millions of other Iraqis whom we haven't slaughtered.
And so it goes. And the spin goes on. And, by this time next year there will be no more than a couple of handfuls ofAmerican soldiers still on Iraqi soil. But as the withdrawals commence (this spring we're betting), the offered rationale will be that we are winning, that we have captured the minds and hearts of the formerly beleagured populace, and that victory is ours. That November's midterm elections, in which the Republicans might otherwise lose their shirts, looms as the real reason for the impending troop withdrawals will not be mentioned; at least not by anyone in Bush World.
And that's what we call spinning the spin.........
12.14.2005
Garrett 500
posted by Garrett W at 5:42 PM
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