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Whitewash (censorship)
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To whitewash is to gloss over or cover up vices, crimes, or to exonerate by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data.
Whitewash also means an overly optimistic but sometimes incorrect description of a concept. An example in politics is to describe a tax or penalty as a fee.
Modern usage
Many dictatorships and authoritarian states, as well as democratic countries, have used the method of whitewash in order to glorify the results.
During the Soviet-era, Stalin adjusted photographs of himself with Lenin, in order to position himself closer as to give an impression of a closer relationship between the two.
Later, during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia following the Prague Spring of 1968, the Press Group of Soviet Journalists released a collection of 'facts, documents, press reports and eye-witness accounts', which was promptly nicknamed 'The White Book' both for its white cover and its attempts to whitewash the invasion by creating the impression that the Warsaw Pact countries had the right and duty to invade.
North Korean radio broadcasts claim to have an abundance in food supplies, yet the government receives food aid from foreign states.
Japan is accused of whitewashing its history of warfare and imperialism by omitting or minimizing subjects such as the Nanking Massacre in textbooks.
Virginia whitewashed what was actually a set of taxes on drivers with certain traffic violations, naming them Civil Remedial Fees.
The United States is believed to have censored critiques against the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for twenty five years immediately following the bombings.
ls by George Orwell have dealt with the subject of whitewash as well.
Discussion
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Encyclopedia
To whitewash is to gloss over or cover up vices, crimes, or to exonerate by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data.
Whitewash also means an overly optimistic but sometimes incorrect description of a concept. An example in politics is to describe a tax or penalty as a fee.
Etymology
Its first reference dates back to 1591. In 1800, the word was used in a political context, when a Philadelphia Aurora editorial said that "if you do not whitewash President Adams speedily, the Democrats, like swarms of flies, will bespatter him all over, and make you both as speckled as a dirty wall, and as black as the devil."
Modern usage
Many dictatorships and authoritarian states, as well as democratic countries, have used the method of whitewash in order to glorify the results.
During the Soviet-era, Stalin adjusted photographs of himself with Lenin, in order to position himself closer as to give an impression of a closer relationship between the two.
Later, during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia following the Prague Spring of 1968, the Press Group of Soviet Journalists released a collection of 'facts, documents, press reports and eye-witness accounts', which was promptly nicknamed 'The White Book' both for its white cover and its attempts to whitewash the invasion by creating the impression that the Warsaw Pact countries had the right and duty to invade.
North Korean radio broadcasts claim to have an abundance in food supplies, yet the government receives food aid from foreign states.
Japan is accused of whitewashing its history of warfare and imperialism by omitting or minimizing subjects such as the Nanking Massacre in textbooks.
Virginia whitewashed what was actually a set of taxes on drivers with certain traffic violations, naming them Civil Remedial Fees.
The United States is believed to have censored critiques against the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for twenty five years immediately following the bombings.
Fictional usage
Novels by George Orwell have dealt with the subject of whitewash as well. In Animal Farm, the pig Napoleon tries to whitewash history by deleting a few characters from the minds of the other animals. This was perceived as a direct reference to the USSR under Stalin.
Related terms
- Greenwashing (a portmanteau of green and whitewash) describes the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly.
- Bluewashing (a portmanteau of blue and whitewash) is used to describe either publicity-driven humanitarian relief efforts, or efforts to be perceived as having a small water footprint.
- Pinkwashing (a portmanteau of pink and whitewash) is a derogatory term for marketing campaigns that exploit consumers' emotional responses to breast cancer to sell breast-cancer-themed products.
- Redwashing (a portmanteau of red and whitewash) describes the use of HIV/AIDS-themed business campaigns to improve sales and profitability.
External links
- - site explaining the whitewashes by Stalin.
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