Living in George Orwell's World

When I was growing up, there were two kinds of villains in the movies: the credible and the incredible. When the villain was a greedy individual, an evil corporation, a hostile foreign country, a street gang or bad cops, this was believable. We've seen these villains throughout history. When the villain was an alien race, a mad scientist, haunted neighbors or our own government, we had to suspend our disbelief in order to enjoy the movie. Unfortunately, I no longer have to suspend my disbelief when the villain turns out to be our own government, and I'm saddened by that.

Growing up, I truly believed that the American government, our government, was actually dedicated to serving and protecting the populace for the greater good, that we were the good guys. I thought our government would protect us from companies selling products that were harmful or ineffective. I thought our government would protect the privacy of its citizens instead of allowing corporations to sell our personal information like trading cards or sending it out of the country for processing. I thought our government would treat enemy prisoners the way we would want our own people to be treated elsewhere. I thought our government was in favor of basic human rights. That it believed in alliances and fair play.

I've grown up now, and I no longer believe these things, and I don't know how to explain this to my child. How is it that our government, one supposedly of the people and for the people, could act so dishonorably and embarrass us on the world stage? How could it ignore the warnings of global warming and global hostility, threatening the future of our country and the lives of our children? How could it place greater value on the profits of corporations than on the rights of individuals?

Day after day I feel more and more as if I live in the bleak world predicted by George Orwell in his book 1984. What can be done? It's not just the current administration to blame, it's Congress and the military and the FBI and the CIA. When I was younger, I thought those who criticized the FBI were conspiracy wackos. After Ruby Ridge, Richard Jewell and other debacles, I've become one of those wackos who think prosecuters and federal agents are more concerned with making an arrest, any arrest, than they are with seeking justice.

I should read 1984 again. I want to see how this all turns out...


Blog Tag: Opinion