In the final concluding chapter of unSpun, the authors once again reiterate what they’ve been telling readers all along: the importance of authenticating facts, the respect one should have for real, honest-to-goodness facts, and the constant vigilance to be had for any chance of being spun yourself. However, the message I walked away with was one inspired by a quote on page 183: “We’re not surprised that advertisers and politicians try to deceive us. Who can blame them for fabricating, twisting, exaggerating, or distorting the facts?”
This statement, though it seems unassuming at first, would later cause me to deeply question the ethics and morals within the modern day world. “Who can blame them?” I can blame them, we as the unassuming public can blame them! What is wrong with society in which consciences are so lacking that advertisers and politicians can use propaganda techniques that can border on blatant lies in order to win support? Isn’t lack of this sense of moral dignity and responsibility to honesty the larger problem? The fact that we live in a world where it’s okay for people to blatantly distort facts for their own personal or monetary gain terrifies me. Why can’t politicians run campaigns or businesses promote their products on the basis of their own strengths? Why have we reached the point where we feel we must manipulate people in order to gain their approval? Worst of all to me is the idea that many of these propagandists have begun to believe their own spin, because the moment this occurs is the moment where we all begin to exists in a world of self-constructed lies.
have learned much from this book about spin, including how to spin others. And yet, ironically, the best lesson I learned of all is that of honesty. Even though the authors weren’t intending to teach it, I have begun to genuinely appreciate messages that lack any and all spin whatsoever. Because there’s something to be said for the real, un-adulterated, cotton-pickin’ truth.
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