Unspeak is language as a weapon. What do ”„pro-life”¦, ”„natural resources”¦ and ”„Operation Iraqi Freedom”¦ have in common? They are all attempts to persuade us of something: that abortion is always wrong; that the environment is there to be used up; and that the 2003 Iraq war had no other motive than the liberation of the Iraqi people. In societies of apparently free public debate, Unspeak tries to shut down arguments before they happen. By creating the language we use to talk about domestic politics and international affairs, the purpose of Unspeak is to make objections unspeakable and, eventually, unthinkable. As it spreads throughout the media, we are pressured to accept the pre-packaged conclusions of politicians, military agencies and corporate interests.
