Oceania or America (1984 or 2004)???

Despite living in an area that is resplendent with natural beauty and sunny most of the year, the sinister specter of the 2nd W term which hangs over America has cast a pallid cloud over my days. The premise of this post is certainly not original, but, as the appointments in W's 2nd term shake out and its policies become more entrenched, comparing some of the ideas raised by Orwell in "1984" to current events is timely as ever. Using the classic phrase from the book of "War is Peace" (which by now has such obvious parallels that no further discussion is necessary) as a starting point, I recently thought up of five Orwellian-sounding phrases that reflect this Administration and, deeper and more crucially, what it has done to political thought and discourse in this country. (-) Faith is evidence. Underlaid by his religious beliefs, and as recently discussed in a NYT Magazine piece, W makes a distinction between reality and belief in which what one believes actually becomes reality (if that makes any sense). Basically if you believe something that makes it true (also don't forget that in a 2000 debate he answered Jesus when asked his favorite political philosopher--yikes!!! one other point on this, which is that when asked if he spoke to his (ex-president) father about Iraq W evaded the question and answered that he responds to a higher authority---okaaay). This belief system can only lead to a refusal to compromise or see one's mistakes (remember the press conference when he was asked a similar question and replied that some appointments he had made (without mentioning names) were the biggest mistake he had made (It may have been "what are 3 mistakes that you've made, and I can't remember the specific timeframe of the question). It may incorporate a truism, but if one can only learn from their mistakes then W has not learned anything. (-) Unquestioning adherence to authority is patriotism. One need only look at the recent campaign and the ridiculous (but apparently effective to some degree) ads that cast a dangerous future for an America under perpetual fear (of terrorism and gay marriage it would seem). Also, why did the W commercial use scary-looking WOLVES walking towards the camera (for those of you who did not see it or live in a non-contested state, I am not making this up). They should have done a commercial showing sharks swimming underwater (voice-over) "Terrorists are like sharks. They feed on weakness. What will the terrorists think if John Kerry is president???" then end with the sharks going into a total feeding frenzy. By the way, in terms of credit my roommate and I came up with that one together after seeing the wolf one, and the faux-ad is not meant to disparage sharks because they, along with gators, are one of my favorite animals. THE REST OF THIS POST IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THANKS FOR READING THIS FAR. (-) Dissent is treason (-) Eviserating civil rights protects freedom. Do FCC fines against radio and television networks promote freedom of the press? (-) Personal loyalty = Professional Conpetence (did anyone see Condi's testimony before the 9-11 Commission? It was patently disingenuous. Don't forget that her scholarly background is Russia and Eastern Europe; despite their importance these areas have not been at the top of America's foregin policy agency for a good while now).

"What's Going On?"

Three policy outcomes are certain to continue in the 2nd W term: more death and destruction in Iraq, a widening of the rich-poor gap and weakened environmental protections.

More than 30 years ago, historical variants of these exact issues were addressed in one of the most powerful and poignant statements of social consciousness ever put on wax: Marvin Gaye's 1971 album "What's Going On?" The songs on this album address a wide range of social, economic and political ills, from urban poverty, severe economic disparities, rising crime, environmental destruction and, in probably its most moving song, Marvin's brother coming home after serving in Vietnam. While it's not an exact historical parallel, it is worth noting that during the early '70s the Vietnam War grinded on while a Republican administration became ever more obsessed with secrecy and, culminating with its re-election in 1972, achieving political supremacy at any cost to the nation (as a sidenote, one reason this is an inexact analogy is that Nixon was actually pretty good on environmental issues, as major legislation was passed during that time). I was listening to "What's Going On" the other day for the first time in a while. This posting is solely to say that the title of this album and the subjects of the songs pose questions that are just as relevant today as when it was first released.

Where is the outrage???

"At the turn of the 21st century, America's political proclivities have become markedly Red. Not the red of godless communism, but rather the Red of an orthodox, anti-intellectual, simplistic and illiberal right-wing ideology." This was a thought I had (which might be expanded into a longer essay) a day or two after the recent election. I have never felt my cultural, academic and political thoughts and beliefs so insulted and disempowered by the outcome of the election, not just by the individual actors and the fear-mongering tactics of the (now seemingly 100%--another topic!) majority party but also by the mindset of some of the voters who allowed this to happen.