Unspeak

Originally posted: September 7th 2008.

unspeak 1. n. mode of speech that pursuades by stealth. Eg., climate change, war on terror, ethnic cleansing, road map, community
　
It's two years since the publication of Steven Poole's book 'Unspeak', and more than that since he coined the term. Mr Poole is young, fairly good-looking and has a flat in Paris; he is also able to demonstrate a considerable intelligence, and is scrupulous, or even puritanical, about identifying examples of unspeak - even admitting that his own book is liable to contain it, as it may creep into our conversation and so our thinking without our noticing, no matter how careful we are. Unspeak can be used deliberately, as a form of question-begging; either to put it to use as a sneaky way of shifting our audience's perception or as a demonstration of straightforward partisan arrogance.
Am I going too fast?
I often find myself invoking this term in conversation, as so many of my conversations these days are about politicians and coppers telling lies; but I'm always met with blank or uncomprehending stares - hence this article, which I hope all my friends will read. The research has been prodigious, and Steven Poole's deliberations make as much of his discoveries as could be possible. Inevitably, given the kind of people who use unspeak, the examples tending to be from the rightwing of politics, he is bound to look an exclusive leftie; but in Israel/Palestine, for instance, he recognises both 'separation fence' and apartheid wall' as unspeak, as they both seek to alter our way of thinking. I quote:
'Notably, just as the perpetrators of Palestinian terrorism challenge the notion of Israeli 'civilians', one rarely hears of a Palestinian 'civilian' being killed by Israeli forces.'
(Shortly after I posted this, The Observer published a special supplement, Human Rights Special, celebrating the day when a 1961 article by Peter Benenson sparked off Amnesty International. The paper is perhaps less in the front line than it once was. The supplement (21.09.08) included this paradigm of Unspeak: ISRAEL 19 June 2008 A fragile six-month ceasefire between Israel and militants [my emphasis] in Gaza begins which should ease Israel's year-long blockade of Gaza.)
Even more complex: in considering energy and the environment, the word 'sustainable' is used in many different ways by varying and often opposed groups. Environmental groups mean a holistic approach by which life may be sustained, scientists may mean cities that would not be destroyed by flooding through global warming and the political/oil coterie means a financial approach by which the oil industry as we know it might be sustained.
The book is full of examples, and the exegeses are always stimulating. The mix of scholarly, dry journalism and the garishly coloured slabs of real life keep the book entertaining, as with 'perhaps Bush's answer to the environment issue was simply: "Fuck the environment."'
GW is quoted often of course: "Freedom is on the march." - and his army's description of the beating to death of an untried prisoner: "Repetitive administration of legitimate force" - is here too.
Tony Blair should have the last word: "I may be wrong in believing it, but I do believe it."

Unspeak by Steven Poole. Little,Brown UK £9.99 CAN $18.99