Wondering About the Past?

If you’re wondering why they’re tearing down monuments remember what George Orwell said,

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. ”

We’re living in the world George Orwell wrote about in 1946 and 1949. He understood the methods of totalitarianism for taking and keeping control. His novels were not so much political polemics as they were a warning to the world of the dangers of totalitarianism and the methods the proponents of same use to seize control of governments. Remember, Orwell had first hand experience of how the Soviets had gained control of the Republican government in Spain. A government that would try and convict him in absentia as a Trotskyite aid of the Fascists.

There are many (although I doubt they read my blog) who style themselves Social Justice Warriors who believe the current means will be justified by the ends they attain. For them I have a few words of advice. I urge you to please go back and reread (assuming you have already read) Orwell’s “1984”; and “Animal Farm”; and Huxley’s Brave New World. And for those of you who believe you’re somehow working for a utopian society based on equality, please read Huxley’s “Island”; H.G. Wells “A Modern Utopia,” and Lois Lowry’s “The Giver.” You might also like to read the Suzanne Collins novels of the “The Hunger Games,” concentrating not on Katniss’ actions but the society in which Katniss lives; for it is a society of the future, not the past. (For the useable takeaway from today’s blog: Did any of you pick up on the symbology of the name Katniss in the Hunger Games? A Katniss is a tuber that has a leaf shaped like an arrowhead; and with what weapon is Katniss most skilled. Ahhhh….. you say.)

Now back to our friends in the streets and on the television; If you can’t accept that the above novels are roadmaps for where you’re headed then you aren’t very bright; Orwell assigned you a character in Animal Farm; you’re represented by the draft horse Boxer and there is little question that if you continue to pursue the path you’re on, you’ll end up like Boxer. Of course, there is always the possibility that you will end up being Squealer but that’s not a very nice life either.

Going back to the beginning of this piece, it is important to recognize your adversaries’ tactics and be in a position to counter them. In this case that would mean doing something about elements in the media who seem to be making common cause with the totalitarians, somehow not being bright enough to know that their profession would become the first purged under a totalitarian regime. More on that in a few days when I address “Freedom of the Press;” ‘Soon coming Sahib,’ as the Hindu barman would respond to my request for a whiskey soda, no ice.

For now we should be on to our local, state and national representatives not to use force against the mobs for that is what they seek, confrontation, destruction and in that destruction an abolition of order. Rather we should be using things like ‘stinky water’ (water based solution with tiny gel components that smell like feces or rotten eggs.) that stick to rioters clothing and skin; water with permanent dye that will stain skin and clothes so the insurrectionists cannot conceal themselves in crowds, foam guns that spray a foam that solidifies around the feet of rioters preventing them from moving and allowing for hands-off detention. The tools can be found but we need to help create the political will to use those tools. And that is the key; Political will. If we do not stand up and take action for the rule of law we will lose it.

What do you think?