BUSH'S ORWELLIAN ADDRESS: HAPPY NEW YEAR -- IT'S 1984

The Mighty Organ ^ | Recently | Jacob Levich

[Publius6961]

Talk about reaching...

I have read 1984 several times and it is about naked power pure and simple. Purposeless and based absolutely on the tenets of communism and "progressive" ideals.
The very people who now are "warning" us. What trash.

I don't recall Big Brother's society being pushed over the brink by terrorists, Mass Murder and international fear.

The ignorant may be susceptible, but the losers who write and circulate this tripe can keep hoping, I suppose.

Since their goal is naked power and control and the wish for their drug-induced pipe dream about human nature.

[Commonsense]

all I can say is, every time we let our guard down in that way we get hit

One little thing the last administration forgot (or ignored) - we're never at peace we're only between wars. Our country has been envied and under attack since its conception. It will always continue to be. We must never let ourselves be lulled into a false sense of security again.

[eddie willers]

No, that was Bush Sr., he dared Hussein to take Kuwait

Wow! Thanks for the unique insight.
I wonder what would have happened if we had Triple Dog dared him?

The minds reels!
(at least yours apparently does)

[willyboyishere]

You'd find better parallels to Orwell's society of the future in most parts of the world outside the USA: the Soviet Union, Roumania, Iran, etc. etc. At the beginning of the Cold War, Orwell predicted the overall shape that advanced and sem-advanced societies would begin to take, and eventually perfect over the next several decades. I think it fits our society MUCH better pre- 9-11 than post 9-11. Think about it. At least our focus now is on a REAL enemy within, and if "far-Left" or "far-Right" groups prove to be behind the Anthrax effort, they too deserve to be placed among the "terrorists". You do make a good point about "redundant" agencies and "what have they been doing for the last 20 years", but that's only because you're seeing those past 20 years in a new light brought on by the national response to 9-11. I've always considered Orwell to be an essential 20th century genius, but in this case, his vision of the future has already passed, is already dead.

[willyboyishere]

"now suppose that absolutely no action is taken to round up terrorist cells....."
You certainly suppose a lot ratcat---but consider that a much more likely scenario will be that we will take NO more direct military action than that already on going in Afghanistan, which was an absolute requirement, and that our attention will in fact be drawn ineluctably to the enemy within. The only danger we have to fear now is what the terrorist cells are planning to do to us. In coming weeks and months, you'll be hearing evidence of a growing clarity among our citizenry to find, detain and deport these bastards, and never let any more of them back in. Keep your eyes and ears open.

[blackbart.223]

"One little thing the last administration forgot (or ignored) - we're never at peace we're only between wars. Our country has been envied and under attack since its conception. It will always continue to be. We must never let ourselves be lulled into a false sense of security again."

You have that right! Slick Willy bears some responsibility for our current situation. While he should have been watching the borders, he was getting serviced by Monica.

[Orion]

Think about it. At least our focus now is on a REAL enemy within...

The "enemy" within seems to be someone who:
May use more than one phone (roving wiretaps w/o judge signature)
Uses digital encryption technology to mask their internet communications (heard on ABC radio today that gov't wants backdoor keys to encryption software)
Has finances outside of high-tax nations (got to crack down on money laundering and financing of terrorism)

WTFO?

It sounds to me like Big Brother wants to know who I talk to, what I say, what I buy, and where I store my loot. Why can't we just focus on folks who fit the profile of a terrorist, and use some good, old fashioned police work and keep these beasts out of our country.

I remember when I was in college ('85-'89) and the Ag Dept found two cyanide laced grapes from Chile. They stopped all Chilaen grape imports. Now, if we can find two grapes, why can't we find 19 people who weigh about 150# a piece that want to harm us in very public ways?

The answer is because we lack the political will to do so. It is much easier to ask the citizens to give up freedom than risk being called "racist."

My advice: if the gov't wants to ban or regulate it, then stock up. Use phone cards, public phones, and digital cel phones. Stock up on PGP 7.0.3 by Network Associates. Later versions may be compromised. It is the .50BMG of digital encryption and is virtually uncrackable. Use cash as often as practical, don't give out your SSN unless it's to the bank, IRS, or your employer. As for offshore accounts...there is a whole other world out there, with better banks than those found in the USA.

[willyboyishere]

I can't disagree with anything you say in #74, but consider this: there is a residual antagonism borne of a new awareness among ever larger numbers of the American population that our own government is to some degree ALSO responsible for what happened on 9/11. Were our civil liberties to be infringed by what you see as the spectre of "Big Brother" there would be a hue and cry from us that this government couldn't even imagine. And also consider this: as much as our general law enforcement structure has failed us (FBI,CIA, etc.) , as misdirected and abusive as they've been, AT LEAST THEY'RE THERE, and organized, and ready to be set in a new and more essential direction. Think how much harder it would be for the sleeper-agent enemies within to be tracked and caught if we didn't have these agencies: they were temporarily re-configured and weakened and given new marching orders all during the Clinton years, and have a tremendous amount of catching up to do (which is why everything still seems to be moving so slowly through the bureaucratic muck) but they are being given a highly specific focus now, something REAL to work on.