Know Thy Enemy: The false neutral
July 5th 2010 06:22
“At least with enemies, you know where you stand.”
-- Zapp Brannigan
Editorial writers in both physical newspapers and online media have perfected writing with false neutrality, a related problem to that of weasel words. This often takes the form of a laundry list of a person, idea, or institution’s faults, mistakes, or sins, followed by or sandwiched between a condemnation of a wrong committed against them. The condemnation usually rings hollow in such an environment – which is exactly the point. The reader is invited implicitly to weigh the wronged party’s past misdeeds against whatever they have just become a victim of, and encouraged ever-so-gently to deem the past misdeeds heavier.
Some specific issues and types of events where you are likely to see this writing technique include Islamic attacks against Israel or the United States, Operation Rescue-style domestic terrorism, and Chinese or Iranian expansionism. It is rooted in superficially similar articles which point out the complexities inherent in a situation, but is often used to suggest false equality or to support the author’s personal opinion or bias, which is what makes it so dangerous.
The technique is more effective when delivered by an anonymous editorial or opinion writer with established authority, but it is used by ordinary citizens as well. Observe:
This post is from a thread in the off-topic section of a forum for a play-by-e-mail roleplaying game based on international politics and conflict. I won’t identify the author directly*, but you should note that they state that nothing excuses the murder of Dr. George Tiller only after presenting the exact same list of excuses his murderer used. Beware this writing technique, no matter where you see it used – and demand that all opinion writers identify their side openly.
*I just can’t resist pointing out, though, that the post’s author runs a nation in the fantasy section, which is inhabited by Tolkien-style elves with not only high levels of education and technology but practically zero crime and social disruption . . . a combination rarely seen in countries with restrictive attitudes to birth control and abortion, much less when the average life expectancy at birth is “indefinite.”
-- Zapp Brannigan
Editorial writers in both physical newspapers and online media have perfected writing with false neutrality, a related problem to that of weasel words. This often takes the form of a laundry list of a person, idea, or institution’s faults, mistakes, or sins, followed by or sandwiched between a condemnation of a wrong committed against them. The condemnation usually rings hollow in such an environment – which is exactly the point. The reader is invited implicitly to weigh the wronged party’s past misdeeds against whatever they have just become a victim of, and encouraged ever-so-gently to deem the past misdeeds heavier.
Some specific issues and types of events where you are likely to see this writing technique include Islamic attacks against Israel or the United States, Operation Rescue-style domestic terrorism, and Chinese or Iranian expansionism. It is rooted in superficially similar articles which point out the complexities inherent in a situation, but is often used to suggest false equality or to support the author’s personal opinion or bias, which is what makes it so dangerous.
The technique is more effective when delivered by an anonymous editorial or opinion writer with established authority, but it is used by ordinary citizens as well. Observe:
This post is from a thread in the off-topic section of a forum for a play-by-e-mail roleplaying game based on international politics and conflict. I won’t identify the author directly*, but you should note that they state that nothing excuses the murder of Dr. George Tiller only after presenting the exact same list of excuses his murderer used. Beware this writing technique, no matter where you see it used – and demand that all opinion writers identify their side openly.
*I just can’t resist pointing out, though, that the post’s author runs a nation in the fantasy section, which is inhabited by Tolkien-style elves with not only high levels of education and technology but practically zero crime and social disruption . . . a combination rarely seen in countries with restrictive attitudes to birth control and abortion, much less when the average life expectancy at birth is “indefinite.”
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