How Orwellian are the NeoCONs?

I was wondering what drives some of the more inventive and persistent smear mongers you see these days, particularly but by no means exclusively on the Internet. You encounter them everywhere. My friends tell me stories of knowing hoards of them and I, myself know at least a half a dozen. Why do they complain that any argument one makes is an attack on them...an unfair one at that...while their counter-argument consists of making the most baseless accusations of entire political schools of thought. Basically, they bleat blatantly insulting language meant to anger rather than counter with an argument regarding the validity of their philosophy or it's superiority over yours. On the boards last week I rarely got on. On one occasion, however, a particularly revisionist and blatantly cherry picked post caught my attention. It was about taxes and wars and how the democrats and Fannie and Freddie caused the housing bubble and it was as if they had no recollection of the reckless behavior everyone saw encouraged at every possible outlet (television reality shows, money market shows, Books and news-stories). Even our own White House was pushing home ownership, and they swore by Bush. Even as his numbers fell and the opium of nationalism after the Iraqi invasion was wearing off of the masses, they evoked patriotism as their conscience and spoke of respect for the office over disdain for the man and got all God and Country on any dissenters. now they have moved from that to the race, with no difficulty or adjustment...it was as if they were re-writing the entire history of the world to lay blame on the Democratic party for all present ills.

For those who don't know me, I'm no zealot. I like to consider myself a pragmatist who uses logic over cliche', statistic over anecdote, and common sense over stereotype. The way they hurled hateful and obtusely constructed warnings about Democratic party-rule was intrinsically Orwellian. The poster was claiming bias, as usual of the Media against Sara Palin. She is the only candidate of four who has no national recognition. All we know is what the spin doctors have released, and some investigative journalism capped by five or so fairly unflattering interviews, blamed, once more on the interviewers. This in the face of the fact that everyone saw the interviews...to this they simply claimed partisan editing and bad lighting. She is a virtual unknown whose only two jobs in the position for which she is running are to break ties in the Senate and to replace the president if anything happened to his old ass, as the case would be. With less than two weeks until the election to decide it all, I did not see the harm in finding out a thing or two about this person who many had already decided they would cast their ballot, their trust and their faith. I suggested that they should ask themselves a simple question. Seeing how before three months ago, 99% of the U.S. Population had no Idea who she was, couldn't they admit that a few more years knowing her personality, character, and effectiveness at the national level of government for which she is posting her application could make some great difference in their opinion of her? If they could not at least admit that there was a POSSIBILITY that it COULD change their opinion of her, then I suggested that they read or re-read George Orwell's "1984" and decide what role they thought they were serving or should be serving for their party? Today I am home with a sick child and decided that perhaps I should re-read it, lest someone actually did that very thing and tried to confront me with some obscure passage or, more likely, some hybrid misquote or misinterpreted passage taken out of context. As I had suggested this thing to one who was possibly quite susceptible to suggestion, and it was quite likely to haunt me in the next month or so, I picked up the book I had been enamored by in my University of Mississippi freshman literature class decades ago.

I swear, I am getting to the point of this long winded set-up, but in reading it this morning, I came across the longest-winded analogy of the NeoCON culture, as I see it, in the history of man. Remember, if you will, that Orwell penned this book in 1949. The paragraph comes from chapter eight, and I have removed the name only of the superpower that Winston lives in, as it may throw off those who have not read it or have not read it in ages, as I hadn't.

The Party speaks for itself, but in the book, this is under the explanation of the party's motto, "ignorance is strength" bear with me, this is good:

Two-Minutes-Hate: This is an exercise described in detail at the beginning of the book where party members watch a hateful film for two minutes..it is very closely akin to a negative political add by the swiftboat veterans for truth against Kerry which has been proven was 100% contrived, or any two minute smear of Obama available to all with Internet access to you tube..in their version, enemies of the state are demonized and screamed at by the closely watched observers every day, who take a break in the middle of work to take part in the mandatory activity. My modern analogy would be negative campaign adds and Youtube smears...replace the hyphenated phrase with either of these, and the quote becomes uncannily accurate and descriptive of today's Politics.

Newspeak: This is the "official party language" of the time and place (London, 1984, as seen by a Colonial Indian born Englishman in 1949) where the main character, Winston Smith lives and works. The language, based in English is constantly updated and refined by stripping variations of words away, as well as words describing different degrees of the same thing and replacing them with multiple variations of a single word. This reduces the vocabulary, making thought-crime impossible. There were no words for "liberty" or "dissent," for instance. Ungood replaces evil, and so-on. It is also a means by which to control the order by changing the language continuously and keeping the populous confused. The language and its function are not as important as the meanings of the words and the fact that they are uncannily brilliant descriptions of modern political behavior as seen daily on the boards, blogs, radio, and fox news.

Inimical: 1: being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence 2 a: having the disposition of an enemy : hostile b: reflecting or indicating hostility : unfriendly — in·im·i·cal·ly \-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb (I had to look that up...had an idea. I didn't care first time I read it.)

Ingsoc: Ingsoc is basically short for English Socialism. It is the form of government and also the ideology of the party, there is only one party, no debate was possible...sound like anyone? It is the result of the revolution which was it was imagined by Orwell would have occurred in the sixties and seventies and had seen the merging of the Americas and the British Aisle into one superpower of Three. Each Superpower had used this ideology and evolved civilization into identical societies with a single ruling party that uses endless war and government control of information to keep the people frightened into mindsets of submission and sacrifice. (remember, 1949 is the year these words were first published.)

Oceanea: Okay, I left it in, because I had to explain so much, already. This is Winston's home. It is comprised of the Americas, the Atlantic Islands, including the British Isles, Australasia, and the Southern portion of Africa. This boundary was drawn after decades of revolutions, counter revolutions, and worldwide nuclear holocausts which were unofficially agreed by the leaders of each superpower to be under moratorium. The quote without the word makes perfect sense or you could substitute "America", but I didn't want to be accused of editing.

Big Brother: In the book Big Brother is the fearless leader, now Big Brother is the Federal Government.

So with no further adieu...here is the passage that made me go "hmmmmmm."

"A party member is expected to have no private emotions and no respites from enthusiasm. He is supposed to live in a continuous frenzy of hatred of foreign enemies and internal traitors, triumph over victories, and self abasement before the power and wisdom of the party. The discontents produced by his bare, unsatisfying life are deliberately turned outwards and dissipated by such devises as the two-minutes-hate, and the speculations which might possibly induce a skeptical or rebellious attitude are killed in advance by his early acquired inner-discipline. The first and simplest stage in the discipline, which can be taught to even very young children is called in Newspeak, crimestop. Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to Ingsoc, and of being bored or repelled by any train of thought which is capable of leading in a heretical direction. Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity. But stupidity is not enough. On the contrary, orthodoxy in the full sense demands a control over one's own mental processes as complete as that of a contortionist over his body. Oceanic society rested on the belief that Big Brother is omnipotent, and the Party is infallible. But since, in reality Big Brother is not omnipotent and the Party is not infallible, there is need for an unwearying moment-to-moment flexibility in the treatment of facts. The key word here is blackwhite. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say to say that black is white when party loyalty demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This requires a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink. "

So if you are still reading at this point, congratulations, and thank you. I am flabbergasted at the accuracy to which Orwell assesses the modern NeoCON culture and captures their mindset completely within the three words (thought)crimestop, blackwhite, and doulblethink. So let's all point out the perpetrators of these fallicies of spin and manipulation whenever they are seen. The doublethink must be stopped! Accuse ppphilssseng666sss of blackwhite...that would be hilarious!

Huck

Fear of a Black Man

When I hear people claim that Barack Obama is a racist...I have to think that maybe those people have been oppressed due to their race by a social system that viewsed them as animals, or olf inferior intelllect. A friend of mine told me that he was afraid that the man was a racist and that he and his wife were going to give things to black people and take thedm away from whites...I was astonished that he would be so openly racist, I asked him what the hell he waws worried about...this exchange occurred last Friday..here is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to family members about it.

I had lunch today with the owner of our company's son-in-law and the IT guy teaching the class. He said "This Obama cat scares the shit out of me" the boss's son-n-law glanced at me and said, "me too; he's a racist" The teacher chimed in that he was "un-american." Then the son-in-law looked at me...he knows I am not afraid to go around about politics. I said, "so what, you are afraid white people will have to sit at the back of the bus if he wins....afraid the white people will have to drink from seperate water fountains?" We went at it for the entire lunch hour...they attacked him based upon his name...which I told them was as silly as checking the prison records for every "john" and holding McCain responsible for those people's actions. I turned every argument they made back on them asking where this really comes from? I am convinced that they are afraid of his skin...that is all. Somehow the cretin talking heads from the right who have been lying their asses off to tear him down sound more legitimate when they are attacking a black man. They attacked his mother, they said he was a clever double agent and that he was out to do harm to America. No evidence, no proof, not even a convincing argument, just statements gleaned from Rush, Hannity, Coulter and the like. I can only do what I can do...but there are some ignorant fear mongers out there. The church, the minister, his wife's thesis, these were all brought up without link or description as evidence of this treasonous racist hate-mongering...Neither of them even knew what a thesis was, neither had a degree from an accredited 4-year university, not that they are any less for their choice, but the were quiclkly silenced when I told them that they'd be hard pressed to find a sociology paper from that era that had NOTHING to do with race relations and sexism, and anyway it was not out of the norm for subject matter or question types. (Most Alabama fans are like that, though...when asked why I root for Ole Miss I tell them...I went there, met my wife there, and graduated from there, why do you root for Alabama?) Finally, I said, "there have been dozens of stories over the past two years"...I took a pile of silverware and placed it in the middle of the table..."which painted Obama to be anti-American, for instance, the one that he was born elsewhere outside of the United States; that would make him an extremely unusual candidate for president who is also a serving Senator"....I slid a knife out of the pile and moved it far away from the forks, spoons, and other knives...."but then it turns out that is bullshit"....then I move it back into the pile...."then there is word that he has lied about his schooling and religeon"....I slid it back out...."but alas"...I slid it back in...."then someone says his wife is on a video making racist comments at his racist church"....I slid a fork out...."but there is no video"...I slid it back into the pile..."They say he will not place his hand on his heart during the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE, as most people do not during the national anthem"...slid the knife out again...."but that is false"...slid it back. I said...do you guys ever get tired of doing the political buzzards' work for them...because anytime you dig just a little looking for the truth, the stories turn out to be completely false. The boss's son-in-law is a smart ass, lazy prick who likes to wave his money around....only works when he feels like it, yet is over my department. We weren't at work, however, and I was emboldened by their total inability to say one concrete thing....He asked...can you prove to me that he is not a racist? I said...well can you prove to me that you are not a rapist? Hard to prove a negative. Besides, it is a silly worry that a black man will oppress the white race if elected. I said, "well, can you?...it would seem that you would have an interest in doing so." He said, then can you prove that he puts his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegience? I said, "why yes I can"..I directed him to Snopes.com or Obama's web site and said "you believe every tawdry rumor about Obama. You can only do that by starting out thinking every word he speaks is a lie. You have nothing good to say about the other guy...it seems you are simply voting against a black man, because that is obviously all you know for sure about him." They both (a lmost in unison) said, "he isn't black...he's half white, he went to Harvard." I said, "so what's your problem, then?" I walked away, neither of them brought the subject up again...I explained on the way back that I do not recognize peer pressure or rumorous gossip or lend it my ear. I form opinions based upon facts, not fears. I can't get fired for slapping the boss's son-in-law around, right?I just have little patience for lower forms of intelligence posing as multi-celled organisms. Stand up for rationality.....the fearmongers and half-wit bulleys are an endangered species...the waiter tried to give me my tip money back on my way out the door. He said, "it was more than worth it to hear you roast those guys, are you with the campaign?" I told him that my vote surely was and to "keep the tip, I was just swatting flies."

Huck

How Long?

How long will we be fighting in the Middle East? WHY are we spending BILLIONS per month on Iraq? Pakistani "ally" President Musharraf is resigning with all the grace of Richard Nixon. What is not obvious about all that is wrong with the PNAC-driven foreign policy of McCain and Bush and Cheney as propogandized by FOX NEWS? Remember when Obama was trashed as threatening an "ally" in Pakistan by suggesting he would bomb Bin Laden with or without Musharraf's knowledge if there was "actionable intelligence". Musharraf is now under threat of IMPEACHMENT if he doesn't make good on his resignation. How long can we afford any Republican in charge of anything? I'll trust Barack Obama to weed out the phony patriots and get our foreign policy back on track. We've got the right Democratic nominee, it really is about "the urgency of now".

Excuse me, but age IS an issue. Technology is an issue. Technology makes chronological age an issue. Whether you are paying attention or not, the World is rapidly changing and it's technology that is driving the dynamics. We have "no option" with regard to looking back and recapturing the past. Our only option is to shape our future. Conservatism isn't dead, but it needs a "skosh" of progressivism. McCain is clearly a "throwback". If I were managing the campaign I'd look at Eisenhower as a comparison at every opportunity. I mean, recognize the appeal to the "good ol' days" and Eisenhower's quiet "rebelliousness". But it's too late for that, McCain is running for a third Bush term and his pathetic economics address is just so reminiscent of Bob Dole struggling to sound "like a President" with no substance. I'm still shaking my head at the Romney "rejection". And his rumored VP candidacy won't change my mind that Obama is the right candidate to "get it" with regard to promoting a better America to the World. Providing an example of a truly successful democracy where the MAJORITY feel we're headed in the right direction. Protecting and creating jobs at home, while expanding trade which helps other nations develop. An expansion policy with regard to Diplomacy and Good Will. A "War on Terror" that focuses on terrorists and not nation-building or retribution. An Iraq Occupation that comes to an end. It's up to the Iraqis at this point and we can match any offers by Iran, but let's get our troops out of there. McCain is way off the mark on Iraq-Iran and the only way he sounds appealing is to identify the old codger with the portrait in our mind of Eisenhower. But, like I said, it's too late. Instead, he's just another Bob Dole with technology against him.

Straight Talk

John McCain claims he is a straight talker. He's not the only one, but he's the one running for President. Rush Limbaugh makes the same claim about straight talk as he crowns himself a "truthseeker" on an almost daily basis. Bill O'Reilly is another "straight talker" direct from his "no spin" zone. I can't tell you how many times Hannity has used the "let me get this straight" lead in to a question. But as I was reading a summary of McCain's challenges stemming from the Times article, it seems straight talk bears a strong resemblance to "spin". It seems the "100 years in Iraq" doesn't really mean 100 years in Iraq, it really means "100 years in Iraq". Savvy? Only a somewhat conservative with a liberal dose of militance can truly grasp the subtle differences. As McCain tried to dodge his own words, he raised another bit of "straight talk" destined for a dizzying trail of spin-strewn segues:
Earlier in the day, talking to reporters about Iraq, McCain, who is a staunch supporter of the troop surge, said he would lose the general election in November unless he can convince Americans that the United States is winning the war. Then moments later, he retracted what he said.
"Let me not put it that starkly," McCain said. "Iraq will play a role in their judgment of my ability to handle national security. If I may, I'd like to retract 'I'll lose.'"

Well Mr. McCain, you could just as easily retract your application for general campaign finance. Or maybe your song and dance and hideous giggle about bombing Iran? Or maybe your deposition that contradicts your rebuttal to the Times allegations of favoring lobbyists? Or maybe your statement that there will be more wars, more PTSD to treat and we will be in Iraq for 100 years? There are worse things you might like to retract as well, but the answer to your request is "No, you may not retract 'I'll lose' " from your "Straight Talk".

They are Hiding!

Sheesh! The NeoCONS aren't gone ...they are just hiding. Just when you will have forgotten about them....BAM!!! they will come out of the woodwork declaring that they will vote for McCain, as tax breaks got us out of the last recession...and there won't be anyone to say "hey, wait a minute, dumbass...that's BULLSHIT, how does that shit work, exactly???" The world needs people like us to call bullshit on them when they are full of shit. Without that little layer of protection, they will cut all taxes and wait. As the infrastructure crumbles, they will blame Democrats for not hiring Haliburton to build it in the first place....When Social Security begins to list....they will blame Democrats for not sucking MORE money out of the system using individual accounts and tax rebates...When Iraq sucks our military dry, they will, again blame the left for not keeping the right from hanging the entire country with the length of rope they have been sweeping under the rug for the past SEVEN YEARS. They were in charge and it ALL passed...how can they say they are against PORK when they WERE ALL ABOUT THE PORK when there was no opposition to their proposals in congress nor in the white house. They have no legs to stand on when it comes to SPENDING MONEY. They just spent it making CERTAIN PEOPLE rich...helping CERTAIN BUSINESSES (LIKE HALIBURTON) GET FAT WHILE TAX PAYERS GET SCREWED. Don't let people say things that are bogus...whether they be democrats or republicans or libertarians or green party or even communists...stand up and CALL BULLSHIT, AMERICA....WE ALL DESERVE BETTER.

The Neocon Express

McCain's idea of winning is a 100 year occupation of Iraq. Don't be fooled, McCain is anything but a liberal. He is a neocon soldier that supports the PNAC agenda. He's perfectly willing to sacrifice our troops in the quest for new markets and oil profits. He embraces the view that Iran and it's people are expendable and a pre-emptive strike policy is the American idea of compassion and fostering democracy and freedom in the World. John McCain is ready to open the southern borders and roll out the North American Union, essential to the transition to a corporatist Global governing body. McCain is not a "straight talker" at all. He campaigned relentlessly against the Bush tax cuts, but changed his mind even though the tax cuts meet none of the criteria he laid out as necessary. He recently refused to vote on the "economic stimulus" package he campaigned as necessary for the American people. Straight talk? Political maneuvering. What really happened while he was a POW? We have to take his word for it, or do we? A multitude of Veterans have a different view of the "war hero". A man of character and integrity, this coming from fellow philanderer, Rudy Giuliani (another "hero"). The heartbreaking story of how Mrs. McCain (the first one) was dumped by our "war hero" for a young, rich "Cindy" is disturbing to most, but to Giuliani it's the hallmark of "integrity". We were taken for fools by the Cheney/Bush Cabal, will we now say, "Thank you Sir, may I please have another"? The "Neocon Express", coming to the White House soon.

NUMBERS

Super Tuesday is now over. It was something to see. I am a twice married 49 year old white woman. Both of my Husbands are African-American. Both of my Sons are obviously of mixed-race. My X voted for Hillary. My current voted for Obama, as well as I. My eldest voted for Obama. Navy Son decided to sit the Primary out. He's as Independent as they come.
Saying that, what struck me was the fact that for the 1st time ever there were people on the box that look like me, like US. A woman, a man of color.
The NUMBERS of people that came out to vote reflect the fact that this Country is sick, weary, tired and UP AND THINKING, voicing their opinions, their OUTRAGE.
They came out in droves, through all kinds of weather, in this tight economy, they used precious gasoline and got their ASSES to the polls for a PRIMARY!
In our small town, we are lucky to get a trickle of folks to vote in a school board election.
Last night, I worked one of our 6 districts. We had over 500 people vote! Usually we have approx 100.
NUMBERS!
I gotta believe in the numbers.
I gotta believe in the sheer HOPE that we are going to change this time around.

Corner Office

Walk in the door
Look at the room
Jump through the window
Accepting your doom

Next, the meadow at dawn
Swords, fists, or pistols
Defending the honor
Right=Might, clear as crystal

Jump in the melee
Submit to the fear
Slaughter your demons
Keep up with your gear

This may last forever
There's no end in sight
You never signed up
For this kind of fight

Then waters grow murky
The goals turn too loose
The ramp up you followed
Was constructed obtuse

Then they led you by the hand
Like a lamb to the slaughter
Using guns, planes, and boats
And now your own sons and daughters

Until the day came
When the fear had all faded
But the battle continued
And the people grew jaded

Now no one explains
In a sensible way
How the whole thing got started
How it all turned so gray.

An Interesting Thread

Was posted on the War Board by Skyler on Sunday and it had to do with the effects the constant threat of terror on our American Children.
Of course the usual 'bots' trotted out their crap and tried to fight with their usual spin, etc.
But it got me to thinking about our children.
I went and checked for studies, there wasn't much, advice mostly from 'scholarly' sources.
Then I went to the Disney sites. Nothing scary.
Then I went to Nickelodeon, as one of the daddy bots insisted his children only watched 'kids' shows.
Paydirt in the News section. Story after story 'bout the war and pictures. Archieved back to 2005.
Imagine your child watching tv and a news blurb pops up, or a football game and the teaser comes on for 60 minutes.
We all know our children hold things in. We did when we were kids.
So what do you all think?

Hi everyone

AHHHH! A place to express myself without the Doc, Robo and those other reprehensible excuses for human beings. Can't stay but a minute, I'm doing my b-i-l's taxes, how a woman as completely brilliant as my wife has a brother this dumb I cannot fanthom. Ya'll have wonderfu evening!

Where Have All The Flowers Gone

Yeah, I Know, a song title. But think about it, where are all the protestors?
Okay, I know that during the VietNam War we had a draft and extensive media coverage. Flower Power, Hippies,Hoffman, Black Panthers, Drugs, Sex, Woodstock.
For God's sake, 2 men actually set themselves ON FIRE in November ''65 in protest.
A bit before my time, barely, I'm 49. My children are in the right age zone, though. So what I'm saying is: Where are they? All of em. Are they lazy, just don't care? Sittin on their well fed lazy azzes? They should be out there protesting, right?
Curiousity and downright attitude and disbelief led me to start asking a lot of questions.
The protest music is there, I've heard it. Conversations and debates as well. On Facebook and MySpace, Blogs and Text messages. Young people are in Chat Rooms, mad as hell.
I also spoke to folks old enough to be my Mom or Dad. They are angry as well. Angry at a Party that has become so far out there as to be unrecognizeable to them. I was amazed to see how many of them are considering voting for Obama or Clinton.
Our 'Flowers' are there, here and everywhere. Just a bit different than we were then.
I have it on good authority that they will 'Bloom' in the voting booths all across this Country come the Presidential election.

State of the Propoganda Speech Last Night

Last night George W. Bush gave his last state of the union address. I have a simple question. Was it the state of the union, or was it the state of Bush's media/misinformation campaign? He referenced the inked hands of free iraqis (most of which were killed or fled the country after proudly displaying their thumbs for the world media) from years ago. He talked about lowering taxes and cutting earmarks, then he went right into how to better spend American tax money he says we don't or shouldn't have. He talked about cutting "entitlements" which is what politicians call social security when they need to cut benefits but don't want to piss off any of the baby boomers. He contradicted himself no less than three times (within five minutes). First, he prompted congress to set aside their partisan differences then guaranteed a veto of any pork-filled bill from the democratic congress knowing he'd never vetoed one from the republican led congress. Then he tap-danced around some statistics from the no child left behind law. Look I know some educators...my sister has a PhD in education, and no child left behind has done nothing but remove money from the poorest of school districts. The saavy ones just train the kids to pass the achievement tests and don't worry about educating children. Those are the schools who get the money, and parents at those schools are still responsible for 80% of the school's administrative costs (what do you think they do with the hundreds of dollars per child you spend on supplies you never see again?). My child can't even bring pencils home anymore, nor notebook paper. I guess those tax cuts for the top 1% of Americans had to come from somewhere. That's Bush's secret weapon. Cut taxes and then pull funding. It would appear that this is highly irresponsible government, to say the least. If the cut results in some lack of oversight or less thorough enforcement of regulations and the result is a catastrophe then, like Bush, you can use the guise of beurocracy to cover your ass, then blame the beurocratic process for the trouble in the first place (a huge bridge collapse comes to mind). Wake up, America....damnit, you have been lulled into a false sense of apathy by a president who can't even pronounce the word "nuclear". Or we can just wait for proof in the form of a debtor economy and authoritative government hell-bent on keeping control for one party or the other. (a political "mushroom cloud" over washington D.C., if you will) At the end, the huge question I found myself asking was...."why again was impeachment taken off the table?"