Whitewashing is the act of minimizing or
covering up vices, crimes or scandals, or of exonerating the guilty by means of a perfunctory investigation or biased presentation of data with the intention to improve someone's reputation.
["Whitewash", Encyclopædia Britannica, 2003 DVD Ultimate reference suite.]
Etymology
Whitewash
Whitewash, calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, asbestis or lime paint is a type of paint made from slaked lime ( calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or chalk (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), sometimes known as "whiting". Various other additives are sometimes ...
is a cheap white paint or coating of chalked
lime that can be used to quickly give a uniform clean appearance to a wide variety of surfaces, such as the interior of a barn. The first known use of the term is from 1591 in England, referring literally to the process of coloring a surface.
Usage
In 1800, in the United States, 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
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
."
In the 20th century, many
dictatorship
A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...
s,
authoritarian
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
and
totalitarian
Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sph ...
states used whitewashing in order to glorify the results of war. For instance, during the
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On 20–21 August 1968, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four fellow Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and the Hungarian People's Republic. The ...
following the
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring (; ) was a period of liberalization, political liberalization and mass protest in
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected Secretary (title), First Secre ...
of 1968, the Press Group of Soviet Journalists released a collection of "facts, documents, press reports and eye-witness accounts." Western journalists promptly nicknamed it "The White Book", both for its white cover and its attempts to whitewash the invasion by creating the impression that the
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
countries had the right and duty to invade.
In the study of
reputation systems by means of
algorithmic game theory
Algorithmic game theory (AGT) is an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of game theory and computer science, focused on understanding and designing algorithms for environments where multiple strategic agents interact. This research area com ...
, whitewashing refers to the abandonment of a tarnished identity and creation of a blank one,
which is more widely known in
internet slang as
sockpuppeting.
According to the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk director for the
International Federation for Human Rights
The International Federation for Human Rights (; FIDH) is a non-governmental federation for human rights organizations. Founded in 1922, FIDH is the third oldest international human rights organization worldwide after Anti-Slavery International ...
, Ilya Nuzov, Russia is trying to whitewash the country's repressive Stalinist past. On August 30, 2021,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (, ; born 21 March 1950) is a Russian diplomat who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Russia), Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2004. He is the longest-serving Russian foreign minister since Andrei Gromyko d ...
said that the "attacks" on the Soviet dictator
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
are part of attacks on Russia's past and the results of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Russian politician and former deputy of the
State Duma
The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...
said that Lavrov "made an attempt to whitewash Stalin, which clearly, during the period of repressive measures carried out by the authorities, showed the kinship of the authorities with the
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF; ) is a communist political party in Russia that officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist philosophy. It is the second-largest political party in Russia after United Russia. The youth o ...
''–'' the same Stalin admirers." Russian literary critic and culturologist noted that "the whitewashing of domestic
ghouls
In folklore, a ghoul (from , ') is a demon-like being or Monster, monstrous humanoid, often associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. In the legends or tales in which they appear, a ghoul is far more ill-mannered and foul t ...
only indicates that the current rulers feel a spiritual kinship with them."
See also
*
AI washing
*
Artwashing
Artwashing is the use of art and artists in a positive way to distract from or legitimize negative actions by an individual, organization, country, or government—especially in reference to gentrification.
Etymology
With a structure similar to ...
*
Greenwashing
Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "whitewash"), also called green sheen, is a form of advertising or marketing spin that deceptively uses green PR and green marketing to persuade the public that an organization's products, goals, or ...
*
Pinkwashing (breast cancer)
*
Purplewashing
Purplewashing is a term used to describe the practice of using feminist or LGBTQ+ issues to mask discriminatory or harmful practices. It involves selectively promoting certain aspects of feminism or LGBTQ+ rights to improve a company's or organ ...
*
Redwashing
Redwashing is the practice of a collective entity presenting itself as Progressivism, progressive and concerned about social equality and social justice, justice, in order to use this perception for public relations or economic gain. In politics, ...
*
Reputation laundering
*
Sanewashing
*
Setting up to fail
"Setting up to fail" is a phrase denoting a no-win situation designed in such a way that the person in the situation cannot succeed at the task which they have been assigned. It is considered a form of workplace bullying. There are also situation ...
*
Sportswashing
Sportswashing is a term used to describe the practice of governments, individuals, corporations, or other groups using sports to improve reputations tarnished by wrongdoing. A form of propaganda, sportswashing can be accomplished through hosting ...
*
Pinkwashing (LGBTQ)
*
French law on colonialism
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), a ...
*''
The Commissar Vanishes''
References
External links
The Commissar Vanishes- the whitewashes by Stalin.
{{Censorship
16th-century neologisms
Censorship
Cover-ups
Reputation management