Debaser

Published on Saturday, September 22, 2001
Bush's Orwellian Address
Happy New Year: It's 1984
by Jacob Levich

Seventeen years later than expected, 1984 has
arrived. In his address to Congress Thursday, George Bush effectively
declared permanent war -- war without temporal or geographic limits; war
without clear goals; war against a vaguely defined and constantly shifting
enemy. Today it's Al-Qaida; tomorrow it may be Afghanistan; next year, it
could be Iraq or Cuba or Chechnya.

No one who was forced to read 1984 in high school could fail to hear a
faint bell tinkling. In George Orwell's dreary classic, the totalitarian
state of Oceania is perpetually at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia.
Although the enemy changes periodically, the war is permanent; its true
purpose is to control dissent and sustain dictatorship by nurturing popular
fear and hatred.

The permanent war undergirds every aspect of Big Brother's authoritarian
program, excusing censorship, propaganda, secret police, and privation. In
other words, it's terribly convenient.

And conveniently terrible. Bush's alarming speech pointed to a shadowy
enemy that lurks in more 60 countries, including the US. He announced a
policy of using maximum force against any individuals or nations he
designates as our enemies, without color of international law, due process,
or democratic debate.

He explicitly warned that much of the war will be conducted in secret. He
rejected negotiation as a tool of diplomacy. He announced starkly that any
country that doesn't knuckle under to US demands will be regarded as an
enemy. He heralded the creation of a powerful new cabinet-level police
agency called the "Office of Homeland Security." Orwell couldn't have named
it better.

By turns folksy ("Ya know what?") and chillingly bellicose ("Either you are
with us, or you are with the terrorists"), Bush stepped comfortably into
the role of Big Brother, who needs to be loved as well as feared.
Meanwhile, his administration acted swiftly to realize the governing
principles of Oceania:

WAR IS PEACE. A reckless war that will likely bring about a deadly cycle of
retaliation is being sold to us as the means to guarantee our safety.
Meanwhile, we've been instructed to accept the permanent war as a fact of
daily life. As the inevitable slaughter of innocents unfolds overseas, we
are to "live our lives and hug our children."

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. "Freedom itself is under attack," Bush said, and he's
right. Americans are about to lose many of their most cherished liberties
in a frenzy of paranoid legislation. The government proposes to tap our
phones, read our email and seize our credit card records without court
order. It seeks authority to detain and deport immigrants without cause or
trial. It proposes to use foreign agents to spy on American citizens. To
save freedom, the warmongers intend to destroy it.

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. America's "new war" against terrorism will be fought
with unprecedented secrecy, including heavy press restrictions not seen for
years, the Pentagon has advised. Meanwhile, the sorry history of American
imperialism -- collaboration with terrorists, bloody proxy wars against
civilians, forcible replacement of democratic governments with corrupt
dictatorships -- is strictly off-limits to mainstream media. Lest it weaken
our resolve, we are not to be allowed to understand the reasons underlying
the horrifying crimes of September 11.

The defining speech of Bush's presidency points toward an Orwellian future
of endless war, expedient lies, and ubiquitous social control. But unlike
1984's doomed protagonist, we've still got plenty of space to maneuver and
plenty of ways to resist.

It's time to speak and to act. It falls on us now to take to the streets,
bearing a clear message for the warmongers: We don't love Big Brother.

Jacob Levich (jlevich@earthlink.net) is an writer, editor, and activist
living in Queens, New York.
-----------------------------------
-Debaser

__________________
Real eyes realize real lies.

magicmoe

"FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. "Freedom itself is under attack," Bush said, and he's right. Americans are about to lose many of their most cherished liberties in a frenzy of paranoid legislation. The government proposes to tap our
phones, read our email and seize our credit card records without court
order. It seeks authority to detain and deport immigrants without cause or
trial. It proposes to use foreign agents to spy on American citizens. To
save freedom, the warmongers intend to destroy it. "

this is scaring me
take our freedom to obtain freedom

The Stoned Philosopher

Welcome to the New World Order! and i really do think that Dubya is the "antichrist"

The Stoned Philosopher

Nasarius

Yeah, we have to hope the Supreme Court will do what it usually does and strike down any laws that violate the 1st and/or 4th amendment. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they get some "anti-terrorism" laws passed that blatantly violate our rights as US citizens.

"Bellicose", huh? I have learned a new word Yeah, I was also really annoyed at that "chillingly bellicose" line of his.

Slim

Like the War On Drugs hasn't set the stage for this? 1984 came BEFORE its time. Governments in history have either controlled the population through might, fanatacism, or more recently, through manipulating public opinion. TV/radio has made this so easy (the Internet works against them in some ways tho).

People left and right are saying, "I'll give up some freedoms for safety! God bless America!" Benjiman Franklin said they deserve neither in that case.

But don't think everybody is embracing these invasions of our freedom. Most of us in this forum aren't, many political activists and Congressmen/women aren't. Let's hope our collective voice will be heard by the administration.

'Anti-CHRIST'?! 'Anti-freedom' is less biblical and more appropriate.

Slim

SilentPete

Hey do you know if I can get permission to reprint that and send it to my local newspaper? Do you know the authors Email adress?

SilentPete

Hehehe I spoke to soon...I now see is email adress is at the bottom of the post hehehe...

HappyMan

I think that 1985 is fairly simple social commentary. While it does have serious warnings, it shouldn't be taken to seriously. Pessemistic future view may captivate high school english classes, but reality is a little more dynamic then a 50 year old book can illustrate.

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SilentPete

Dude wrong book, we are talking about 1984 by George Orwell. I think you might want to consider checking it out at your local library. That farce 1985 is a pile of ****.

HappyMan

I typoed 1985.