Spin

There is a media-prompted delusion among those who would presume to govern that developing benign euphemisms for complex problems fixes those problems. This magical thinking is cost-effective, of course. If you are strapped for cash, as most political office-holders are currently, pretending you are doing something about problems in your community by 'reframing the conversation' may make you feel better about stuffing your own pockets with the public's limited resources.

Joseph Goebbels: Father of Modern Spin

State legislators in Massachusetts proclaiming how casinos will be a great solution for the state economy are stunning examples of this phenomenon. Another example was a recent local PBS show which highlighted my own home town, Chelsea, Massachusetts. Men in suits grinned as they described Chelsea as a "gateway community" in glowing terms. Perhaps they were grinning because they themselves do not have to live in Chelsea.

"Gateway community" is apparently the new euphemism for slum. For those of you who do not know what a slum is, let me explain. A slum is a community in which poor people live in substandard housing because of low rents. The owners of the properties in these communities are called slum lords. These are now called "investment property owners" or "property investors" or "property developers". But, they are still slum lords. The distinguishing characteristic of slum lords is that they never live in the slums they create by avoiding taxes, neglecting their properties and ignoring municipal health/safety ordinances.

The "gateway" in "gateway community" refers to the fact that the tenants who are being exploited are poor immigrants. In communities like Chelsea, deteriorating flats are filled with extended families to capacity. Cleanliness and the conditions for psychological health are nearly impossible to attain in these environments where every square foot is occupied by belongings and beds. Child neglect and child abuse are much more likely to occur in these environments. Domestic violence and alcoholism are common side effects of the stress in these environments.

The beauty of isolating the poor in "gateway communities" is that they are not living next door to wealthier people. The wealthy internationals in Cambridge and Back Bay can live in peace. They can be satisfied that the poor are behind the doors of restaurant kitchens, are cleaning up their offices after they leave for the day or are babysitting their children when they want to go out and enjoy themselves. The poor are in their place. They are being given an amazing leg up by being allowed to live in poverty in a slum here in America, as opposed to a slum in their home country.

The spin of multiculturalism and diversity by those in the media and in politics is an old ploy in new packaging. It is a veneer of respect for those immigrants and people of color who stay in their place, who play the game of those who control society with money. The same hypocrites who hire accountants to avoid paying taxes wax poetic at cocktail parties about the charm of the immigrants whose real-life needs they do not wish to address through adequate government education, government regulation and health care.

As a humanist, I deplore the current control of the political and social fabric of the U.S. and the world by capitalist greed. However, I find the hypocrisy of all those who are supporting this trend as they live lives of luxury even more distasteful. While preaching hollow politically crafted language of tolerance and liberalism, they have consistently voted for politicians who have instituted policies which exploit greed and deny the responsibility of all citizens for the well being of each other.