by Dr. Marvin J. Folkertsma
The ink was barely dry on the asterisk in Jimmy Hoffa Jr.’s rant about taking out those “sons-of-b*tches”—referring to Tea Party members—when the vice president made his own contribution at a Labor Day rally. “This is a fight for the existence of organized labor,” the veep shouted. “You are the only ones who can stop the barbarians at the gate!” And the diatribes have continued, with the establishment of a website designed to track unfair comments made by those who, in President Obama’s words, want to “cripple” America. Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ snippet about telling the Tea Party to “Go to H*ll!” (that pesky asterisk again) added a nice sentimental touch, and some Wall Street protesters are denouncing free enterprise with words snatched from Robespierre’s rich vocabulary.
This is pretty harsh stuff applied to a menagerie of mostly gentle souls whose views of constitutional government differ from those of President Obama & Company, but such perfervid comments take on a clearer meaning when viewed in a more appropriate context: George Orwell’s 1984. That is, somehow certain voices of liberalism today sound less like traditional partisan pep-talks and resemble more Oceania’s “Two-Minute Hate” sessions, where party members screamed at a giant tele-screen filled with the face of Emmanuel Goldstein, one of Big Brother’s objective enemies. The purpose was to deflect rage against miserable social conditions by directing it to a foreign source; siphon off the hatred by venting against Big Brother’s enemies.
The parallels go beyond hurling epithets at that massive Leon Trotsky look-alike in one of the most memorable scenes in 1984. Consider the three slogans of The Party applied to today’s Orwellian liberalism: “War is Peace,” “Freedom is Slavery,” and “Ignorance is Strength.” As explained in The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, “the book” within the book, the purpose of war was to preserve the domestic power structure. As applied to today, Orwellian liberalism’s increasingly vicious attacks against the Tea Party and Republicans perform the same function, which is to preserve the current liberal power structure by blaming others for its failures. High unemployment, failed foreign policies, high energy prices, horrible housing markets, disastrous federal deficits—they’re all the fault of liberalism’s enemies. Republicans and Tea Party members—you, like Emmanuel Goldstein of 1984—are being blamed and are being used a distraction.
“Freedom is Slavery” offers a host of villains in civil society to whom the American public is “enslaved” under the guise of being free, and could be seen as similar to what Orwell had in mind. Thus, freedom to choose one’s own healthcare plan or no healthcare plan at all is slavery to the insurance companies; Americans “addicted” to oil to drive gas guzzlers is slavery to Exxon and its partners; freedom to eat French fries is slavery to McDonald’s clever advertising campaigns; and freedom to make your own investment decisions is slavery to Wall Street. In fact, Orwellian liberalism assumes that citizens’ own decisions to live their lives pretty much as they please constitutes slavery to someone or another in a so-called “free country.”
Which leaves us with what is likely the most important slogan of Orwellian Liberalism, “Ignorance is Strength,” which means in this context that ignorant citizens constitute the foundation of the liberal establishment. President Obama could not get away with statements about “millionaires and billionaires not paying their fair share” of the income tax without the silent collusion of Americans’ ignorance about how much the upper two percent actually pay in taxes. Similarly, the country’s energy shortages could not conceivably exist with an informed citizenry that is aware of how well-connected environmental activists have prevented production in resources where North America dominates, such as coal, natural gas, and shale oil. Further, the propaganda campaign centering on an alleged “consensus” over anthropogenic global warming could not possibly succeed with an attentive public.
In short, “Ignorance is Strength” for Orwellian Liberals; pierce it, and the whole century-old liberal-progressive project collapses in a heap of prevarications and pretense.
If this happens, liberals’ presumption to govern on the basis of the other two slogans, as well as a thick vocabulary of Orwellian Double Speak, will collapse as well. The question is whether this situation can endure indefinitely, as it did in “1984.” The answer depends on Americans’ determination to reclaim control of their government.
Dr. Marvin Folkertsma is a professor of political science and fellow for American studies with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. The author of several books, his latest release is a high-energy novel entitled, The Thirteenth Commandment.
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Hey America! How’s that ‘hope and change’ thing working out for ya? Had enough? Then DEMAND of your representatives in Congress to investigate Obama for his crimes. He behaves more like a dictator-in-chief. He doesn’t like rules and laws. Obama has never been vetted. You and I are vetted when we apply for a job, but not Obama. Oh no, he gets a pass. The MSM helps him everyday!
Have you had enough America? DEMAND your representatives investigate the impostor in the WH! Every congress person has taken an oath of office to ‘protect and defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic.’ What the hell are we paying them for? They need to do their job or we lose our country. The longer Obama’s in office, the further down the drain America goes. It’s already evident that Obama hates America, he behaves more like a dictator every day, the DOJ is a joke, Eric Holder is a felon, even without a trial, it’s quite evident he’s perjured himself in the ‘Fast and Furious’ scandal, we’ve had numerous reports of Obama’s unelected Czars saying things you’d expect to hear from an enemy that’s already gained control of us — even Obama himself said “under my energy policy, the price of gasoline would skyrocket.’ That’s great Obama! What else can you do for America? Your a fraud, an enemy of the U.S., you hate America and it shows by your class warfare BS and every policy that comes out of your administration does nothing but hurt America.
Where’s Congress? What the hell you doing up there in Washington — laying down to this criminal cabal in Washington? You spineless cowards I’ll be voting your ass*s out if you don’t investigate this piece of garbage in the WH. America start inundating these spineless cowards everyday with phone calls, faxes, emails, letters, whatever it takes, don’t let up on these cowards. DEMAND they investigate Obama and his criminal cabal!
Six years of democrat rule and control – had enough yet Americans? Radicals are at the helm, and like pawns on a chessboard, they use the naivety of a youth that has been indoctrinated in our new “Orwellian State” to foment hate along with marxism, socialism, and anarchy. Burned out hippies from the 60s can be seen amongst them enjoying their 15 minutes of fame as the historic pariahs of an age, gladly, passed. Through the art of “deflection by projection”, the left is everything they claim the right to be and the Orwellian media do all they can to support the lies and deceptions. It is all amazing to watch as it unfolds on an unsuspecting, busy, entertainment-drunk American middle class that desires to ignore it all but soon may not have that selfish option anymore.
Unfortunately, those who support Obama are so invested in him, and so blind, they fall for his rhetoric. They view the tea party as their enemy and cannot see that the tea party is the only thing standing between them and a dictatorship.
The key to liberal success (i.e., proliferating ignorance) lies in their ability to indoctrinate the youth, which they have sucessfully done for the past 40+ years through the public education system. Hollywood culture also contributes significantly to their cause through the mindless liberal swill that overflows media outlets of every form.
There is a broad, right-wing, conservative Republican group in the United States that believes that US President Barack Obama is America’s most dangerous enemy today, that he has waged a war against the American dream, and that he is the biggest threat to the very principles that underline the United States! Yes, these are truly the claims being put forward today, without any hint of exaggeration.
He recused America from a certain depression by instituting more and larger taxes than any president in history while rescuing the American banking and auto industries and saved us from a plunging stock market.
He killed OBL ; decimated our enemy Al Qaeda; took the fight to the Taliban in Afghanistan; set the Iran nuclear program back years, and eliminated the terrorist govt in Libya that had killed more Americans than any other regime.
He shepherded the 1995 Republican health care reform plan through a Democratic congress and he onored our promise to the 9/11 heroes.
And for the Democrats to even think of running a candidate against this compassionate conservative is almost Un-American and that’s what you are. Un-American racist lemming scum!
This man has already mislead USA into believing that he is a christian, and a Non Moslem, let his pants be off to show he isn’t circumcised before he proceeds further!
Your countrymen have the right to know, who he is.
You need to move to the courts to get this verification done so that the bluff may not get carried further, before you vote!