Saturday, March 4, 2017

Is This Animal Farm?

Threat Against Democracy (TAD).  I just reread Animal Farm by George Orwell.  I know a lot of people are talking about his book 1984, but I thought I’d start with Animal Farm.  

If you’re not familiar with the story or have forgotten, here’s some of what happens.  The animals overthrow their human owner and take over the farm establishing total equality for all animals.  Two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, become the thought leaders.  Using threats and thugs Napoleon runs Snowball off and becomes the totalitarian leader of the farm.  Pigs get special treatment and impose harsh conditions on the other animals.  Napoleon has another Pig, Squealer, who acts as his apologist, twisting the facts to try to hide the oppression of the other animals and the truth that the farm is failing.   Squealer makes up false crop reports and lies about Napoleon’s actions.  Dissent is dealt with brutally.  Snowball is blamed for all problems and lies are told about him trying to undermine Napoleon and the farm.  Life gets worse and worse for the animals while the pigs cozy up to their sworn enemies, the humans.  You get the idea.

Much of what we’re seeing today is frighteningly similar to the descriptions in Animal Farm.  To name just a few: Michael Flynn’s and Jeff Sessions’ attempts to deny the fact about their contacts with Russia and all the other Russia-Trump intrigue and cover-up.  Napoleon Trump blaming Obama, Hillary, Democrats in general, the judiciary, and the press for his problems. Trying to make it appear that Obama personally ordered wiretapping of the Trump Tower.  Squealer Spicer making demonstrably false statement after demonstrably false statement.  Administration officials contradicting one another.  Claims that vandalism of Jewish cemeteries could be false flag operations.

I was very concerned that the Nixon White House was a threat to the very foundations of our democracy.  I’m much more concerned about the Trump cabal.  Way more than just a TAD.

Animal Farm.  Read it.


Please share if you are concerned, too.