FRAMESHOP:FRAMESHOP: 'W' IS FOR ORWELL

Some Presidents look at a glass and say it is half empty.  Others look at the glass and say it is half full.  George W. Bush looks at a glass and says,  "That glass is a shoe."

We describe a government as 'Orwellian' when they routinely attempt to define current events as the exact opposite of what common sense dictates.

When thousands of people die from a misguided bomb, common sense calls this 'civilian deaths.'  An Orwellian speech or article, by contrast, might call this same event an instance of 'minimal damage to the non-combatant population.'    The Orwellian government uses whatever broadcast or print means necessary to define itself as the opposite of what common sense citizens see around them and then makes references to these PR attempts as if they are neutral. 

The Orwellian branch of the White House Web site is a page suspiciously called Setting the Record Straight--which should probably be titled 'George W. Bush Calls A Glass A Shoe.'

Failure=Success
The Setting the Record Straight series began in February 2005 when the Bush White House was badly losing in their effort to gut the Social Security system.  There are now a total of thirty one-derful installations of this series--all straight from the Ministry of Truth.

The purpose of this series? To explain why that glass in front of you is really a shoe.  In other words, the series is a 'greatest hits' of George 'Orwell' Bush's never ending quest to turn ordinary common sense events into something other than what they are.

This week's edition of Setting the Record Straight, President Bush takes on the Middle East--which, if you look out your window you will quickly notice that it is quickly being reduced to a pile of smoldering rubble, civil wars, and escalating regional violence (bad stuff).   President Bush's Orwellian goal:  turn what has become the very image of foreign policy failure into 'success.'  That's right, folks:  George 'Orwell' Bush's foreign policy is a 'success.'

Here's what Orwellian mental gymnastics looks like when the President of the United States puts it into action...

Step 1:  Attack A Reporter, Journalist, Or Politician
This is crucial.  The key to the White House's Orwellian tactics is to argue first that the truth is being concealed by an enemy of the truth. In this weeks' edition about 'foreign policy,' the enemy is David Gregory whose offending article is listed as the opening line of the Web page:

NBC's David Gregory: "Crisis After Crisis Has Undermined The Bush Doctrine." (NBC's "Today," 7/21/06)

So, that is the 'crooked' record that the page is setting 'straight.'

Step 2:  Present A List Of Seemingly Important Events
Immediately following the opening statement of this week's enemy, the Orwellian then focuses the reader's attention on the real truth being obscured by said enemy.  In this case, the truth being obscured is all the great stuff happening in the Middle East:

A Consensus Is Building Behind The   President's Foreign Policy   Approach

 
• The United States Is Rallying The World Behind North   Korea. "The U.N. Security Council unanimously   adopted a resolution Saturday condemning North Korea's recent missile tests and   demanding that the reclusive communist nation suspend its ballistic missile   program." (Edith M. Lederer, "Security Council   Unanimously Adopts North Korea Resolution," The Associated Press, 7/15/06)
 
• The United States Is Rallying   The World Behind Its Policy Toward Iran. "World powers rebuked Iran last week by   seeking possible punishment from the Security Council, saying Iran had not   signaled an intent to negotiate seriously over its disputed nuclear program. …   'Iran has a serious choice to make and we invited it to make the right decision   to react positively to the concrete proposals presented to it,' the [G8] leaders   said in their statement." (Jeannine Aversa, "Leaders   Press North Korea On Missile Tests, Urge Iran To Accept Nuclear Energy Offer," The Associated Press,   7/18/06)
 
• The United States Is Rallying   The World Behind Its Policy Toward Iraq. "We   will support the newly constitutionally elected government of Iraq and call upon   it to continue the policies of inclusiveness as a means to overcome divisions   within Iraq. We will continue to assist in building an independent, stable,   secure, democratic, prosperous and united Iraq at peace with its neighbours and   the international community." ("U.S.-EU Summit   Declaration: Promoting Peace, Human Rights And Democracy Worldwide,"   6/21/06)
 
• The United States Is Rallying   The World Behind Its Policy Toward The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. "We will continue to promote a negotiated   solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the Roadmap in   order to advance a just, viable and lasting two-state solution and we call on   both parties to avoid unilateral measures that prejudice final status   issues." ("U.S.-EU Summit Declaration: Promoting Peace,   Human Rights And Democracy Worldwide,"   6/21/06)

Now, in reading this list, the American citizen (e.g., me, you, etc.) is supposed to respond thusly,  "Hmmm....that's funny....I did not realize that the 'United States is rallying the world behind it's policies in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and Israel-Palestine.'  That really is a lot of success.   I must be a victim of David Gregory's deceptions.  That dreaded David Gregory!  How could he spread such lies!"  And so on and so forth.

Step 3:  Let Everyone Know That Other People Share The 'Truth'
The last step is really critical in this Orwellian project.  This is where President Bush tells everyone that David Gregory is not an enemy acting alone, but is actually part of a Liberal plot to conceal the truth.  How do we know there is a Liberal plot?  We know because the Orwellian tells us that 'Conservatives' agree with the President.  So it must be a plot. This is what this last section looks like on the Web site:

Conservatives Stand Behind The President's   Policies

On Wednesday, Max Boot Wrote: "Our Best Response Is   Exactly What Bush Has Done So Far – Reject Premature Calls For A   Cease-Fire And Let Israel Finish The   Job." (Max Boot, "It's Time To   Let The Israelis Take Off The Gloves," Los Angeles Times, 7/19/06)

Well, then!  If the Conservatives say it, then it must be true.  The escalating war between Israel and Lebanon where more and more innocent civilians are being killed each day--is more sign of President Bush's success.  Thank goodness for 'Success!'

Framing Vs. Orwellian Deception
Most people will look at what President Busy does on this 'Setting the Record Straight' page and conclude that it is evidence that we should abandon all efforts at framing.  But in fact, Orwellian language tricks are an attempt to force a square peg into a round hole by blocking our view of both the peg and hole.  The result is pure smoke and mirrors.  We believe the Orwellian trick so long as we never check for ourselves what we are being told.  And Orwellian tricks succeed best only in a political context where the government has absolute control over the information that citizens  have access to.

So long as there is an active investigative media and bloggers hard at work fact-checking the White House's claims 24/7--President Bush's Orwellian tricks are never more than a few minutes away from being debunked.

And this is where we need to be extra alert between spin that is presented with the trappings of real reporting, and actual facts and representations of what is really happening.

The Middle East is in chaos escalating out of control as a result of President Bush's policies.

Our global allies do not trust us anymore as a result of President Bush's policies.

Iran and Korea grow more arrogant and dangerous every day because of President Bush's policies.

And as a result of President Bush's policies, efforts to broker a cease fire and peace accord between Israel and Lebanon are being stalled.

Death, danger, isolation, and escalating war is not success.  They are the hallmarks of failure in foreign policy.

So beware of George 'Orwell' Bush.   Big Brother may be watching, but he is also spinning.

© 2006 Jeffrey Feldman

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