Urban Dictionary: Potemkin Rhetoric

Top definition

Potemkin Rhetoric is any rhetoric that is solely to deceive others into thinking that a situation is better than it really is.

Derived from the following definitions:
Potemkin: having a false or deceptive appearance, especially one presented for the purpose of propaganda.

Rhetoric: language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.

Example 1: The mayor used Potemkin Rhetoric to explain to the population that the water supply was completely safe when the water supply was actually tainted with poison; in fact the Mayor filled a glass directly from the faucet and drank it in front of everyone, but he didn't tell them that the faucet was connected to a supply of fresh filtered distilled water.

Example 2: The cabinet meeting was a nationally televised presentation of positive propaganda from the administration where one cabinet member after another presented Potemkin Rhetoric.