Posted on 02/17/2006 11:25:21 AM PST by Xanadu2112
The resemblance grows between the Bush administration and the sinister, monolithic political party INGSOC, from George Orwell's novel "1984," with every twisted and evasive defense for the violation of American civil rights.
Bush and Co.'s battle against terrorism has turned into a power grab and a war on Americans. Fear and contorted language are the weapons of choice.
The administration's assertive actions after 9/11 might have made sense in the raw aftermath of nearly 3,000 dead. With time and distance comes perspective. Those new presidential controls awarded to help ensure the safety of Americans now look more like the political clubs wielded by INGSOC.
Orwell might have got the year wrong, but his nightmarish vision of a super-nation at perpetual war, dominated by a government only concerned about control and party preservation, could gain purchase in 2006.
I hear more of Newspeak, the restrictive language created by INGSOC, with every presidential explanation as to why the government feels compelled to spy on Americans. Orwell wrote that the idea of Newspeak was to restrict the language to the point that people would have to think in the limited language of the party.
In true INGSOC fashion, the administration has used Bushspeak to spin a story broken by The New York Times about a domestic-spying program run by the National Security Agency and approved by executive order soon after 9/11 into a necessary program needed to weed out the deeply integrated terrorists living next door.
The timing was curious when, last week, Bush revealed that a terrorist plot was thwarted in 2002. Bush talked about the plot the same day stories surfaced about the doubts a secret surveillance court judge had about the legality of domestic spying. Of course, an administration spokesperson danced around the question of whether the NSA program was involved in stopping the terrorist plot.
The use of powerful and well-placed words and images worked for INGSOC. Its slogan — war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength — fits like a truncheon in the cradle of shattered bone with Bush's recent State of the Union address:
War is peace
"There is no peace in retreat."
Freedom is slavery
"The terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks. It remains essential to the security of America."
Ignorance is strength
"... We have benefited from responsible criticism and counsel offered by members of Congress of both parties ... Yet, there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure."
Political doublespeak is nothing new, but has become a real threat to democracy in the hands of this administration. Bush has taken communication strategy to new heights, said David Domke, associate professor of communications at the University of Washington.
"This administration has become preeminent in crafting messages for political gain," Domke said.
The Republicans have made no secret about what they will run on this year. A recent Pew poll showed that Americans believe the Democrats could lead the nation better on every issue except national security. Bush aide Karl Rove has given speeches about national security and the president skips across the nation talking about the importance of spying on Americans to keep us safe.
This strategy works only if the electorate is fearful that a hostile world is ready to overrun America. Bush's fear-mongering resembles a version of INGSOC's Two Minutes (of) Hate, in which party members watch a video of legions of the enemy army marching behind a bleating political enemy.
American democracy has buckled under the weight of Americans voting scared, a weak press diluted because of consolidation by mega-public companies, and no real political alternative.
It does not matter that the administration and, by extension, the Republican Party are only doing what is needed to hold on in November and again in the 2008 presidential election. Their actions are beginning to eclipse our civil rights, potentially reducing freedom to a dim flicker.
Mr. Blethen,
I'd like to know what specific civil rights you have lost? If you can't name any it's because you haven't lost any and are doing exactly what you accuse the President of doing...appealing to fear! It would be nice if you guys on the left actually had any solutions to the problems that confront us but you can't because that would mean saying that you are in favor of abortion, ready to surrender to anyone that wants to pick a fight with us and that you want to raise taxes in order to achieve "social justice", whatever that means! Maybe, if you could get your so-called "progressive" candidates elected then you would be able to institute your Marxist agenda but my guess is that the Democrats will use their own brand of "doublespeak" to try and convince us that they don't like abortion, are strong on defense, and only "want to take things away from you on behalf of the common good" like Hillary Clinton says. That sounds more like what Orwell had in mind.
Have a nice day and don't forget to crimestop!
I see the "two minute hate" by the Left is going on, and on, and on.
The resemblance grows between the Bush administration and the sinister, monolithic political party INGSOC, from George Orwell's novel "1984," with every twisted and evasive defense for the violation of American civil rights.>>
/reading
The only people who have lost civil rights are terrorists and their supporters.
Blethen is heavily into projection.
Barf Alert!!!
Oh gag me. Orwell had today's hypocritical and double-talking Democratic party in mind when he wrote "1984." It is a broadside against the big government socialism Democrats have been advocates of since the 60s. What a fool.
Well, I'm glad this liberal admits his views change over time as opposed to being consistent.
But I don't think he realized he 'fessed up to that.
In the end Winston Smith loved Big Brother. Does that mean all the lefties will be sent to Room 101 in the basement of the White House and reformed into Bush supporters? We already know they believe 2+2=5.
First thin I think of is Orwell when I read about the ACLU, the 9th Circuit Court, Howard Dean, J. F'ing Kerry, Hitlery,....
Why repeat that??
But George Orwell was a patriot. He didn't like big government, but he didn't like power concentrated in the hands of ANYONE. Toward the end of his life, he believed that the communists were a greater threat than the government and turned in names of communists who he felt threatened the state. I think it's entirely possible that were Orwell still with us that he would support President Bush and PM Blair. Much like Chris Hitchens. Quirky, socialist, but patriotic.
Is Blethen a high school student? Did he slap this together the morning his book report on 1984 was due?
And yet another reason why we should all be thankful that the Seahawks did NOT win at Super Bowl XL. ;)
When and if God decides to give America an enema, one of the potential insertion points will be Seattle.
Of course there is also San Francrisco, New Yawk City, Baaahston (of course), New Orleans, and I'm sure there are many other, most worthy candidates for God's Nozzle of Cleansing. LOL
You are not paranoid if people are really trying to kill you.
Orwell's book wasn't so much about physical control over the people as it was controlling their thoughts, through many means. In 1984, I see much more the liberal left attempting to control people than I do a conservative attempt.
To show the point where I stopped reading this BS (= "/reading").
One thing about the left - they are predictable.
Whats bad about these hyperbolic characterizations is that it becomes like the boy who cried wolf. People will begin rolling their eyes at these accusations. If and when a REAL Hitler/BBrother shows up, we'll all be jaded by then.
Off to Room 101 with this swine!
What's in Room 101, you ask?
Don't ask! (see tagline)
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