Why you should write for real
A week or so ago I linked to Billmon's definitive list of pre-war lies. Swopa at Needlenose reports on what may be the results of that post.
I guess it's possible Billmon (who I don't know from Adam, btw) had this in mind from the beginning. All he did was take their own words, spin free. And it's making the rounds. Even the press is responding.
That's writing. Yeah, I know, all he did was copy and paste, with a little formatting, but he got clear on what he wanted to communicate and executed precisely. It's like found poetry.
Later: I don't think I was clear. Good writing, effective writing, is helped along by the ability to turn a clever phrase, whip up a unique metaphor or frame a proper quote. But what makes writing good is that it communicates the idea you intend it to. That's the whole purpose of writing, and the sole means by which I judge it. Billmon put across exactly what he intended to, so effectively that it immediately became a thing (I'm really trying to avoid the word "meme"...). That's why it's good writing, and it's why, if you're going to write it should be for real. Make sure you get what you want to say on paper or screen or whatever. Everything else is just decoration to make it more or less attractive.
Hesiod suggests
Everyone should write their local newspaper or TV Station on this issue. Send them Billmon's list. Make sure they do not let Bush get away with fudging the argument.
And he's right. If a reasonable number of people do this, it doesn't have to be an overwhelming flood, the local newspapers will know this is a common view that can't simply be ignored. And the simpler the letter, the better, like: I found this list on the Internet and it seems to be true. I've been talking with my friends about it, and we agree it's a problem we'd like to see explained.
Later-later: Eric Alterman has a
Clip and Save Lying Guide that is Billmon's list with hypertext to the sources of the quotes. He returns when he found out the list wasn't original with his source and gives proper credit to Billmon. That Alternam is a mensch.
posted by Prometheus 6 at 6/10/2003 01:17:19 PM |
Posted by P6 at June 10, 2003 01:17 PM
| Trackback URL: http://www.prometheus6.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/799
