Outing the truth slayers
When trouble occurs, when disaster strikes, when the unspeakable becomes reality, when defeat knocks on the door of the strongest among us, honesty and integrity often take a back seat. Truth becomes the victim.
Confronted with what they said or did was wrong, unworkable or offered false hope, and unwilling to admit their folly, those in positions of responsibility turn to spin. They ignore the facts, hoping their reputation or political future can somehow be salvaged if they can only convince people to believe what they want them to believe.
Here notable truth slayers, master spinners, on my list:
General William C. Westmoreland
Commander of U.S. Forces during the Vietnam War between 1964 and 1968; repeatedly told President Johnson, military commanders, the press and the public that the U.S. was winning the war despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary
Notable quotes:
鈥� “It’s the first war we’ve ever fought on the television screen and the first war that our country ever fought where the media had full reign.”
鈥� “Militarily, we succeed in Vietnam. We won every engagement we were involved in out there.”
鈥� “We were succeeding. When you looked at specifics, this became a war of attrition. We were winning.”
Muhammed Saeed-al Sahhaf, aka Baghdad Bob
Information Minister under Iraqi President Saddam Hussein; his absurd comments during on-camera interviews as U.S. and coalition troops marched into Iraq became “must see” TV during the Iraq war
Notable quotes:
鈥� “There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!”
鈥� “Their forces committed suicide by the hundreds … The battle is very fierce, and God made us victorious. The fighting continues.”
鈥� “By God, I think this is very unlikely. This is merely a prattle. The Fact is that as soon as they reach Baghdad gates, we will besiege them and slaughter them … Wherever they go they will find themselves encircled.”
President Donald J. Trump, 44th President of the United States
Commander-in-Chief battling the coronavirus; ignoring the rapidly spreading pandemic while ignoring early warnings of its threat to the U.S., the virus has shut down our once-booming economy and makes Trump’s re-election tenuous
Notable quotes:
鈥� “This (coronavirus) is their (the Democrats) new hoax.”
鈥� “We are working very closely with China and other countries, and we think it’s going to have a very good ending for us, I can assure you.”
鈥� “We have it (the coronavirus spread) all under control,” adding that it is a “very small problem in this country.”
One final note on spin-masters. Stephanie Grisham, President Trump’s third press secretary – you know, the White House spokesperson who is supposed to run the daily press briefings but never conducted a Q&A with the White House press corps during her nine months there – reassigned. Booted out? Quit? Who knows for sure? Believe whatever spin you want now coming out of the White House. Her replacement, Kayleigh McEnany. Who is Kayleigh McEnany? She is a former contributor for CNN, you know, the cable news network her now boss, President Trump, calls “fake news.” How long will it take before she spins fake news on behalf of Trump?
My guess, very soon.
Richard Ringer
Uniontown