Whitewash (censorship)
Encyclopedia
To whitewash is a metaphor
meaning to gloss over or cover up vices, crimes or scandals or to exonerate by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data. It is especially used in the context of corporations, governments or other organizations.
is a cheap white paint or coating of chalked lime
used to quickly give a uniform clean appearance to a wide variety of surfaces, for instance, the entire interior of a barn. 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
."
s 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.
(or white paint) served to notify Jews of the taboo
, unclean sepulcher. On this part, Gill
's, Barnes', and Clarke
's Bible commentaries agree. In this passage the intent is to show that Pharisees are likely to conceal their sins, whitewashing their appearance.
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.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
meaning to gloss over or cover up vices, crimes or scandals or to exonerate by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data. It is especially used in the context of corporations, governments or other organizations.
Etymology
Its first reference dates back to 1591. WhitewashWhitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
is a cheap white paint or coating of chalked lime
Calcium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or...
used to quickly give a uniform clean appearance to a wide variety of surfaces, for instance, the entire interior of a barn. In 1800, the word was used in a political context, when a Philadelphia Aurora editorial said that "if you do not whitewash President Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
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
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
."
Modern usage
Many dictatorshipDictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
s 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
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
following the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
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
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
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
Japanese history textbook controversies
Japanese history textbook controversies refers to controversial content in government-approved history textbooks used in the secondary education of Japan...
by omitting or minimizing subjects such as the Nanking Massacre
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...
in textbooks.
In the Bible
In Matthew 23:27, Jesus warns of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, revealing that they are "like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones." The commentary on this verse often describes the custom (as common in the 1st century A.D. and even today) in which chalked limeCalcium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or...
(or white paint) served to notify Jews of the taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
, unclean sepulcher. On this part, Gill
John Gill (theologian)
John Gill was an English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian who held to a firm Calvinistic soteriology. Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, he attended Kettering Grammar School where he mastered the Latin classics and learned Greek by age 11...
's, Barnes', and Clarke
Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke was a British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar, born in the townland of Moybeg Kirley near Tobermore in Ireland...
's Bible commentaries agree. In this passage the intent is to show that Pharisees are likely to conceal their sins, whitewashing their appearance.
Fictional usage
Novels by George OrwellGeorge Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
have dealt with the subject of whitewash as well. In Animal Farm
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II...
, 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
- GreenwashGreenwashGreenwashing , or "green sheen", is a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that a company's policies or products are environmentally friendly.-Usage:...
ing describes the practice of companies spinningSpin (public relations)In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...
their products and policies as environmentally friendly, or "greenGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
". - Bluewashing is used to describe either publicity-driven humanitarian relief efforts, or efforts to be perceived as having a small water footprintWater footprintThe water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. Water use is measured in water volume consumed and/or polluted per unit of time. A...
.
External links
- The Commissar Vanishes - site explaining the whitewashes by Stalin.