Remember the book “1984” by George Orwell? At the time it was Orwell’s view of the future. Now, depending on which US political party is in power, the book is used by the opposing party to criticize the government and the party in power. Yup, claiming all the evils in the book against the opposition. The pendulum is well known to swing after the results of the next election. I myself used the relativism during the Obama and Biden years myself. I should have done more during the Bush years…both Bush’s.

If you remember from the book there are three main super-powers in the world; Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. They are continually at war with each other resulting in huge causalities and mammoth consumption of resources on all sides. Peace alludes them, and their respective governments use continual “war” as one way to unite & control their populations.

Oceania, is led by Big Brother, a dictatorial leader, staunchly and blindly supported by a virtual cult…a cult of personality based on Big Brother…blind obedience is required. In Oceania the government is everywhere, it is a violent police state, surveillance of everything and everybody, there is a constant stream of propaganda from the government, and there is widespread persecution of individualism and independent thinking. You are either with the party and obey the government, or you are “dealt with”.

Over the years I’ve heard lots of comparisons with different aspects of life in the world, countries, leaders, etc.. Not long ago I heard that Eurasia was the USSR/Russian Empire (includes Europe), Eastasia was the Chinese Empire (all of Asia and Africa), and Oceania was the American Empire (western hemisphere). Could seem possible…but still somewhat in the future. Although it does appear that we are at war with China for the last 10 years and with Russia for the last 80 years. And most recently some say we appear to be willing to go to war, at least economically, with Europe and all NATO countries. And with the recent re-implementation of the Monroe Doctrine, it looks like the US is creating an Oceania by subjugating all other countries in the western hemisphere. But I am not buying into all of these comparisons just yet…potentially not at all.

What if 1984 wasn’t about three world super-powers such as the empires just mentioned?

First off, George Orwell wasn’t “George Orwell” at all; he was actually Eric Arthur Blair. “George Orwell” was his pen name. But, we will continue to call him George Orwell. He was born in India, but a British citizen, and grew up in England. He staunchly opposed totalitarianism, authoritarianism, communism, fascism, and democratic socialism. Few know he was a combat veteran and fought in the Spanish Civil War. He was also a police officer for a portion of his life. Interestingly, Orwell’s wife worked in England’s Censorship Department of the Ministry of Information during WW2. Some irony there.

Back to my thought about 1984…

There have been plenty of parallels drawn between 1984 and the world. Many have speculated that Oceania was, and is, the United States. Any reasonable person can see that as being applicable at different times in the last 80 years. But what if it isn’t about the “world” and Oceania isn’t the US? I was thinking this morning about an alternative.

What if it was all about the US…but in a different sense?

What if two of the 1984 super-powers are the US political parties, Republicans & Democrats, and the third super-power being Independents? Think about that for just a minute…both the Republican Party and Democrat Party are super-powers in the US…the only actual political super-powers. They each run the country, sometimes with absolute authority when/if they are in office holding power…especially if they control both Houses of Congress. Both parties “disappear” those who violate the norms of their leadership and question the party.

Look at the US Presidents for the last 100 years…with rare exception they have been very strong personalities with virtual cult-like followings. That is especially true with at least 3 out of the last 4 US Presidents. The sole exception in the last 100 years was definitely Jimmy Carter…worthless…milk toast.

Continuing the comparison…both parties spew nothing more than propaganda supporting their party’s positions and achievements; and the government spews propaganda that is designed to keep itself in unquestioned power. No one can realistically challenge that the US is a surveillance state. A strong case, could be made that the US is also a police state for the last 25 years…or very close to it…and getting closer every day.

You look as someone like Rand Paul and his father before him, Ron Paul, they were regularly criticized when they broke with the Republican Party and took an independent position. That was true even when they opposed the Republican Party and embraced a principle of the Founding Fathers and/or held a strict Constitutional position. Recently you can see the same thing when it comes to the Epstein Files…advocates for release on either side of the aisle are often criticized by their party leadership either publicly or privately. There is a long list of Republicans on the “black list” with this current administration for doing so, MTG being the latest high-profile example…15 more added to the list last week.

Both parties appear to be continually at war with each other. It’s hard to find a single issue with which both parties can agree. There are some rare issues where they readily agree; expanding the national debt, large annual budget deficits, draconian federal law enforcement and surveillance powers, military might, etc.. Yeah, basically they can agree on virtually anything that gives the federal government power over individuals…at the expense of rights, liberties, and freedoms of US citizens. Anyone who disagrees with either or both parties…well, it appears that both parties despise these individuals…especially when they are collectively referred to as “independents”.

Think about this round of statistics of a recent poll:

• 46% of the US identify as Republicans or leaning Republican
• 45% of the US identify as Democrats or leaning Democrat

That poll result is when people are asked to identify with a particular party or if they even “lean” towards a particular party…but they are only given two party choices. But when given three choices; Republican, Democrat, or Independent the results are a significantly different:

• 27% identify as Republican
• 27% identify as Democrat
• 45% identify as Independent

When you get right down to it there are three groups of Americans, politically speaking. There are two organized political groups and one group that doesn’t like either political party. But which two parties are the ones obsessed with, and lust for, power? Yup, the Republicans and Democrats…two political super-powers. Which parties have run-up the national debt? Which parties have accrued massive annual budget deficits? Which parties have voted over and over again to give draconian laws to the federal government? Which parties have allowed torture of America’s enemy prisoners? Which parties are ever-so-ready to get us into wars? Which parties…

Well, you get my point…the answer is unquestionably both political parties.

Back to 1984…what if the book is all about the US? What if the book is about continual war between political parties?

What if the US is (and has been) led by Big Brother(s), dictatorial leader(s), all of whom are staunchly and blindly supported by a virtual cult (political party members)…a cult of personality based on party leadership (i.e. Presidents)…requiring blind obedience to the party and its leadership.

In Oceania the government was everywhere; is it not the same in the US? Is the federal government creating a police state, surveillance of everything and everybody…or has it done so already? Does the federal government spew a constant stream of propaganda? In the world of politics is there not widespread persecution of individualism and independent thinking? Do both parties demean and revile “independents”…at the same time seek their votes? Are we not seeing that people are either with the party or they are demonized? Are we not seeing now in some quarters that you are either blindly with the government or you are demonized?

Odd, 1984…the world? The US? The political ideology of the US?

No wonder George Washington warned us against political parties and their lust for power…and how it would ruin the country. No wonder the Founding Fathers were so concerned about an all-powerful central government. No wonder that the Constitution was designed to severely limit the power of the federal government.

And no wondering why we are in the situation we now find ourselves.

 

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