Stopping Spin Laden - New York Magazine article

Paul Simon has forwarded an informative and amusing article "Stopping Spin Laden" by Simon Dumenco (New York Magazine, 11/12/01) It was Tony Blair who coined "Spin Laden". It is a caustic analysis of US propaganda in the Middle East, in the hands of advertising experts, such as Charlotte Beers, in charge of public diplomacy (i.e. propaganda for Colin Powell, who himself has adopted Madison Avenue lingo, including the word "brand", after which "Charlotte Brand" is named.

Charlotte Beers was an advertising-industry fixture for four decades-she's headed three advertising agencies, including, mostly recently, J. Walter Thompson. A Texas gal (well, a 66-year-old Texas gal) with a southern drawl, she's the daughter of an oilman and started her career in advertising as a brand manager at Uncle Ben's. "Well, they eat a lot of rice over there," a former colleague deadpans. (Later on in her career, she also helped market Gillette -- not that the Taliban have much use for razors.) "I mean, I like Charlotte very much, but her appointment was preposterous." How does Beer translate into Arabic?

My footnote: Universities have their share of responsibility For decades the government has called for language and area experts, but in our universities departmental rivalries have blocked the development of such inter-departmental programs. I know this from experience. Now the government is again lamenting the lack of such experts.

Ronald Hilton - 11/7/01