With Good Reason

The following excerpts are from George Orwell’s, “1984”, probably my second favorite fiction book. This is a pseudo-monologue by the character O’Brien:

“You believe that reality is something objective, external, existing in its own right. You also believe that the nature of reality is self-evident. When you delude yourself into thinking

that you see something, you assume that everyone else sees the same thing as you. But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind, which can make mistakes, and in any case soon perishes; only in the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal”

‘As usual, the voice had battered Winston into helplessness. Moreover he [Winston] was in dread that if he persisted in his disagreement O’Brian would twist the dial again. And yet he could not keep silent. Feebly, without arguments, with nothing to support him except his in articulation horror of what O’Brien had said, he returned to the attack.’

‘I don’t know –I don’t care. Somehow you will fail. Something will defeat you. Life will defeat you.’

‘We control life, Winston, at all its levels. You are imagining that there is something called human nature which will be outraged by what we do and will turn against us. But we create human nature. Men are infinitely malleable.’”

This book is hyperbole, it is an exaggeration, purposely so, to better illustrate the main points Orwell wants to convey. Orwell was trying to warn us of one possible dyutopian future.

Orwell’s words echo in my mind, every time I hear some American Neo-Con talking about “building democracy in Iraq” or some new leftist “Great Society Plan” like NCLB (aka no life left behind). Every time I see some post modernist pseudo-intellectual idiot blabber on about some “art” that a child can draw, that is supposed to convey some abstract message, that elitists pride themselves on being able to figure out, to reinforce their self defined superiority I think of 1984.

1984 is not just about totalitarianism. If one looks closer, the book explains what institutions and ideas can bring this type of system into being. Totalitarianism is the symptom…the end result…not the cause. The cause is the idea that there is no innate human nature, that people are all blank slates (tabula rasa). What logically follows is that if humans are “blanks” then they must also be infinitely malleable clay or gelded sheep waiting to be guided to utopian fields.

Due to this fact, totalitarianism is a end result of a common ideology quite divergent political philosophies have taken up the same approach. Both Nazis (right wingers) and Communist (leftist) thought the same thing. The “New Soviet Man” failed, but it has not stopped radical elitist from thinking if they just “do it the right way” they can create near-utopia. If they just had enough power; if they just had enough control of your money; if they just had enough control of your children, if they could just get rid of certain people; if they could just make people all believe in their God, and this is how it starts.

The root of totalitarianism comes from government overreach, because in the end there is never enough power, because you can not make humans conform to theories are that are against human nature. You have a better chance of reaching light speed with mass (E=MC2).

The brutal hand of the “right minded” come and the nightmare begins. There are many people in churches in this country; in government (in both isles); and in universities who would more than happily lead us down this path to hell based on their “superior ideas of what man is or should be. Beware of the utopianists, because they will be your Hitler/Mao/Stalin/ tomorrow. At best they will shake down the productive class (tax payers like us) for money for their programs that will NEVER work for the vast majority of people (which happens every day in Washington).

The rock group A Perfect Circle sees the writing on the wall and cogently warns us in the song “Pet”:

“I’ll be the one to protect you from
Your enemies and all your demons
I’ll be the one to protect you from
A will to survive and a voice of reason
I’ll be the one to protect you from
Your enemies and your choices son
They’re one and the same
I must isolate you
Isolate and save you from yourself”