PrintJune 9, 2006
Brother to Dragons
Spin — as in media spin, of the kind that we experience too much of — can be used not only to impart a desired meaning; but to deprive an event of any meaning whatsoever, to rob it of the expected impact it might have in the ordinary course of events. We've seen the technique (which might be labeled 'despinning' or 'reverse spinning') utilized hot and heavy throughout the Iraq War.
The most prominent example is probably the capture and trial of Saddam Hussein, which has been demoted from being a central event in Iraq's postwar history (Did the Nuremberg trials mean as little to Germany?) to something on the fringes, not worth the bother of focusing on. We're seeing the same thing now concerning the death of Al—Queda's Prince of Darkness, Abu Marwan al—Zarqawi.
The way to despin an event is not to ignore it, but to surround it with so many conflicting opinions, interpretations, and comments that they begin to contradict and cancel each other out. The distinct...(Read Full Article)
