power is not a means, it is an end. a parable for today.

sixty years ago, avowed and confirmed socialist george orwell released his brilliantly bitter novel 1984.  the novel was orwell's warning of what happens when state power is unabated and unchecked - and the premise novel is no less nightmarish now than when it was first released.

set in the fictional police state of oceana where the image of  "big brother" - the personification of "the party" -  and the "thought police" ruthlessly suppressed any hint of dissent.  in the book control is realized through constant surveillance, relentess propaganda and quick, sure annihilation of anyone who rebels against its authority, even if only in private thoughts or conversation.  winston smith, the unheroic and unlikely hero of the story engaged in dissent from the party - in both thought and written word and he was eventually arrested, interrogated, tortured and broken.

shortly after the book was published, mr. orwell wrote "I do not believe that the kind of society I describe necessarily will arrive, but I believe . . . that something resembling it could arrive," and further "I believe also that totalitarian ideas have taken root in the minds of intellectuals everywhere, and I have tried to draw these ideas out to their logical consequences."  boy did he ever say a mouthful!

my good friend, z, from golly geeeez sent me a great little story - written by god knows who - that i think ties nicely into the above:

Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.

"And his brother Eric is very thirsty." said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind.

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

"Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.

"And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President.

"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout- that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," He added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his creme brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.

what a perfect analogy for what is going on now. and if we don't do something to stop it - sooner rather than later - we will be way too far down the road to turn the ship and avoid the iceberg that threatens to sink us.

some of our politicians are waking up.  check out representative michele bachman (r-minn) on the floor of the house taking congress, in general, to task.  in part she says "Now weve moved into the realm of gangster government. We have gangster government when the Federal Government has set up a new cartel and private businesses now have to go begging with their hand out to their local hopefully well politically connectedCongressman or their Senator so they can buy a peace offering for that local business. Is that the kind of country we are going to have in the future?"

it is time to wake up people.  the tea parties aren't enough.  we must go further.  at what point does civil unrest become the right thing?  i think we're close to that point now - if not already there.

it's time to stop him/them.  it's time to shut down the power grab.  it's time to BRIDGE the gap that separates all freedom loving americans and restore our constitution.  it's time to be responsible americans.

i leave you with another quote from orwell: "The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. ... We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means, it is an end."

Comments

[Mustang]

Excellent … and should anyone happen to think that all of what is happening in this country today is but a mere fluke of the times, think again. It is the design of leftists to provide us with 1984 … for real. And when it is done, Big Brother will turn to the enslaved and say to them, “You should have stopped me at the roll.”

America is too strong to be defeated from without … it is too weak to prevent defeat from within.

[heidianne jackson]

precisely right, mustang. i'm still confused by orwell being an avowed socialist and not understanding that a socialist government can lead to what he proposed in 1984. and so much else that he wrote about, too.

[Z]

Excellent post, Heidianne...BOY, can YOU multitask!

Mustang, Big Brother will just be gloating....don't you think?

Man, that last orwell quote is SOMETHING. And now, here in America, we've got a government illustrating that exact POWER sentiment. )*$&()*&$# them all.

[heidianne jackson]

multitask, z? heck i just ignored the things i was supposed to be doing!!!

big brother is already gloating - and all the thought patrol, too. if this past week is indication.

and we are already there (the last quote). got a bridge handy, z?

[the merry widow]

I don't have a bridge, will a swamp do?

Orwell got it right, both with, "1984", and wit, "Animal Farm"...some are more equal than others...and obama's admin and congressional dhimmicrats sure are showing their "equality".

You know something? I do not want to be equal to them...I really dislike cesspools.

And power for power's sake, reminds me of another quote, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

tmw

[heidianne jackson]

yeah, a swamp is probably the same thing at this point, tmw. i'll join you there :)

[HoosierArmyMom]

The bricks of totalitarianism are being placed in the wall very quickly. I think you may be right, outright civil unrest may be on the horizon. Great post heidianne.

[Angel]

and Hussein couldnt even admit that the US military brought down the Soviet Union..what a freaking tool!

[heidianne jackson]

thanks ham, you're so right - i hate to advocate anything at this point, but it's getting stupid. or is that MORE stupid?

[heidianne jackson]

angel you're so right! OF COURSE there were people in those countries working to bring down the USSR - they didn't want to live in that environment anymore than i do. however, had it not been for the u.s. and reagan's policies, the USSR wouldn't not have fallen - and those people would not have had the courage to fight the commies. sheesh - i agree with hannity that bho needs to consult a history book every now and then.

[G-Man]

I hate to think of a time when I will be forced advocate civil unrest. It is not a step that any patriot would take lightly.

How long is it until predator drones haunt the skies over a defiant Montana, Idaho, Wyoming or other such state? Will we see tanks rolling into Denver like the capital of some rebellious eastern European state? Will Times Square be our Tien an Minh? It is not a thought that I cherish. I know that it may well be necessary, but I still don't like it.

I do realize however that I swore an oath to defend the constitution with my life if needs be and as far as I can tell, that oath does not have an expiration date.

It is just sad to see that otherwise patriotic Americans more and more are arriving at the same conclusion.

We've all seen the UN come down on the side of revolting provinces, supporting their independence, but I seriously doubt they'd do so here.

The end result of following the mental exercise of a rebellion to its conclusion yields either the birth of two or more countries, all vastly diminished in their power, treasure and prestige or in the creation of a new totalitarian state after crushing such a rebellion.

Liberals seem so totally against "torture". I wonder how against it they would be if the target of the "torture" is one of their conservative countrymen. I'd bet the dislike would quickly subside.

Oh well just some random disorganized thoughts from a random disorganized G-Man.

[Rightwing Guy]

I am so glad that Michelle Bachman in MN, i would go crazy here if she wasnt

[Angel]

thanks for the vis to WHT..missed ya girl!:)

[G-Man]

Sorry to drop in and advertise my blog here, but I have a post regarding an urgent call for aid from one of our wounded heroes. Please visit my blog and lend whatever aid you can! Again, please pardon the intrusion.

[Always On Watch]

I do think that "civil unrest" may ultimately be what decides which way America will go -- either down the path of totalitarianism or back to our Founding principles.

A year ago, the possibility of our needing a civil war for independence would have been unthinkable to me. Not now.

In my view, if we don't overturn this Congress in 2010, that kind of civil war will be the path we are on.

[Always On Watch]

Speaking of some problems with civil unrest.